Out of Control
by SassyAngel05
Summary: Everyone's saying Logan is out of control. Veronica thinks otherwise. Set before Mars v. Mars. LV pairing eventually. It's finally finished!
1. Default Chapter

Title: Out of Control

Author: Sassy

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Through Episode 15. I read spoilers on Neptunesite and had to jump on this idea.

Pairing: Veronica/ Logan

Summary: Logan vows to find his mother's killer and Veronica gets roped into helping.

**_Out of Control_**

**_Chapter One_**

**_Reputation_**

****

Logan didn't register the discomfort of the hospital waiting room chair. Truthfully, he didn't register much of anything. He couldn't seem to focus on anything around him, other than the words that the doctor had told his father, the pair almost out of hearing distance, but not quite our of Logan's hearing range. "Her death was caused by drowning**-** apparently from the bridge. The impact from the bridge was enough to kill her, but it probably knocked her unconscious. We've ruled her death as a suicide. Was she unhappy in anyway, Mr. Echolls? Oh, and could you autograph this lab coat for me?"

Logan wanted to attack the medical examiner when he'd heard those words. His mother was dead and this guy was asking for his father's autograph. He was trying to make it seem like his mother had committed suicide, but she wouldn't have. She wouldn't have just left him behind in the world with his father and sister alone. While she hadn't always known how to be a mother, she had always loved him. She had helped clean him up after his father's punishments with sorrow in her eyes and alcohol on her breath. Logan didn't pretend like his mother had been happy with her life. She had been utterly miserable, his father had seen to that. But she wouldn't have committed suicide. She had plenty of alcohol to numb her pain; she wouldn't have needed to kill herself. He had to believe that. No. Someone had killed her, just like someone had killed Lilly.

He vowed at her very public funeral to find out who had killed her, as clichéd as the revenge plot sounded. He wouldn't let her death go by unpunished and he knew whom he had to go to for help. Even if it pained him to talk to her. Even if she had betrayed him before.

Veronica had heard about Logan's mother on the news and the friend inside of her mourned for Logan and Mrs. Echolls. Mrs. Echolls had always been kind to her, even after the problems with the Kanes' had ruined the Mars reputation. She had been one of the few people who had remained humane to their family. Of course, Veronica had never been sure if it had been the alcohol talking or her real personality, but now Veronica chose to believe that it was Mrs. Echolls' way. But now she was gone. 

She wondered if Logan was okay**-** at least as okay as the circumstances allowed. He had been absent from school for a week, but she'd seen the reports of Logan flipping out on the paparazzi outside their home and then turning on his dad, blaming him for Lynn's death. The highlight of entertainment news was Logan's pain and reaction to it. Aaron Echolls out of control son. But Logan wasn't really out of control. He just wanted privacy so he could lick his wounds without everyone watching. Of course, what Logan wanted didn't matter to the press, because the footage would be replayed every five minutes on TV. Logan couldn't even be given the privilege to mourn privately.

Logan returned to school on Monday. All anyone talked about at school was Logan and his mother's death. Logan was unusually subdued; the boyish smirk absent from his face, the glint in his eyes gone. He stuck close to Duncan, who was equally somber, as he always was with the memories of Lilly haunting him and the anti-depressants Celeste Kane kept him on. Veronica saw them in the halls, and for once, she wished she could talk to them the way they used to. She wanted to talk to Logan. Such an odd concept**-** wanting to talk to him. But she resisted the primal urges and continued on with her usual outcast life at school.

Veronica was typically hyper-aware of her surroundings. She watched everything around her, an encoding in her private investigator's genes. That is exactly why she was surprised when a hand reached out from the boy's bathroom and pulled her in without her realizing what was happening or who it was. She turned to face whoever it was, ready to punch whoever had accosted her, but she saw Logan with his hand still attached to her arm. A fact that sent tingles down her spine, though she'd never testify to it in court. 

"LOGAN! Was there really no other way you could talk to me besides yanking me into the boy's bathroom?" She said it as though the girl's bathroom was not her regular office. She continued on with her rant, "You couldn't have come up to me in the halls and said, 'hey, Veronica, I've got to talk to you.' This is really going to do wonders for my reputation." She added the last sentence as an afterthought.

Logan fell into his usual smirk and Veronica was actually glad to see it. "You really think your reputation is going to get worse by you being in the boy's bathroom with me?" His eyes were laughing at her and she hated him again.

Veronica narrowed her eyes and jerked her arm away from him. She hit the door as she stepped backwards, but the contact didn't register. She was already annoyed with Logan and they had been in the same room for less than five minutes. And to think that Logan had seemed less obnoxious today.

"Look, I'm sorry, Ronnie. I'm just pretty pissed right now, okay?"

"Are you actually apologizing to me?" Veronica's mouth formed into a perfect smile and she relaxed her stance slightly.

"As long as no one else finds out about it, yes."

Veronica sighed loudly and moved away from the grimy door. She wondered why he wanted to talk to her and she couldn't resist asking.

"What do you want, Logan? I assume you pulled me in here for a reason, other than the chance to make fun of me."

Logan's face darkened considerably, the comfortable look on his face gone. The smirk had disappeared once again and he looked sad. Veronica resisted the urge to give him a hug, something she would have done back when they had been friends. Now it would have just been weird. And the situation was already weird enough.

"You heard about my mom."

Veronica understood the change in Logan's demeanor and she nodded, her blond bangs falling in her eyes. She brushed them away while she thought of what she should say. Everything seemed so trite when it came to death.

"Yeah. I heard. I'm really sorry about it, Logan."

Logan ignored the comment, and continued on with what he was saying. "She didn't kill herself. Someone killed her; I know it. I want to find out who it was and I want to make them pay."

Veronica sighed again. Logan was reaching for a reason for his mom's death. He wanted to blame anyone else besides her for it. He needed to believe that it was someone else. She had felt the same way when Lilly had died and when her mother had left. She had wanted to believe that Lianne had left because someone had made her, and then she had realized that there was no one else to blame but Lianne. Lianne was gone because of her own selfish reasons, though. Logan would find that out about his mother soon enough. 

She didn't have time to chase down someone that didn't exist. She had plenty of other cases to work on, including ones that involved her - who her father was, who had murdered Lilly, who had raped her. But Logan, who hated her with every fiber of his being, was asking for help. And it probably caused him mental pain to do so. She didn't want to take his hope away from him, for some reason. His hopes would be deflated shortly anyway.

"You came to me for advice on revenge. That's soooo sweet!" 

Veronica smiled charmingly at him, hoping to receive one in return. This depressed Logan kind of freaked her out. She knew why he had been telling her. He wanted her help to find the person who did it. But it was fun to make him say it. She felt bad for him, yes, but that didn't mean she didn't want to hear him admit it. She deserved to hear him say that he needed her help after the way he'd treated her.

"I want you to - to help me find who did it, Veronica."

He kept his gaze down, avoiding having to meet eyes with her. He didn't want her to know that he needed her. But he did. Only for finding his mother's murderer, of course, but he needed her.

Veronica decided not to push him any further on him asking for help. She'd have plenty of time to use it to her advantage. 

"Why do you think someone killed her?"

"It's a long story."

He seemed tired. His face was shadowed with exhaustion and his eyes were defeated. Logan wasn't one to take defeat.

"You'll have to tell me the whole story or I won't be able to help you."

"So you will help me?"

"If you tell me everything. And no one finds out. I wouldn't want it to get around that I was helping an 09er."

"Yeah, well, I don't want people to know that I'm talking to you, so I think the secret's safe. I don't want to tell you the story here, okay."

"Fine. After school, you can come to my apartment. We'll talk then."

She took out her notebook and scribbled her address down. She tried not to think about what she was doing, giving Logan the address. He could harass her anytime after she gave him this. But she finally ripped it from the spiral and handed it to him. She turned away from him and walked back to the door. She paused before exiting and spoke one more time.

"I am sorry about your mom, Logan."

"Everyone is." He sounded bitter, but Veronica tried not to notice. She didn't want to think about how she missed the cocky, mocking tone in his voice. She pushed the door and walked confidently out into the hall, Logan following not too far behind. Everyone saw it and suddenly, Logan's mom wasn't what everyone was talking about anymore. It was about Veronica providing some cold comfort to Logan in the middle of the school day.


	2. Chemistry

**_Out of Control_**

**_Chapter Two_**

**_Chemistry_**

Of all the scenarios that Veronica had run through her mind since Lilly had been murdered, Logan coming over to her house almost humbly to discuss his mother's death was not one she'd come up with. He was standing almost serenely on the stoop of her apartment. Veronica couldn't take her eyes off of him; she couldn't stop thinking about how surreal it was. He raised his eyebrows at her incessant staring and a lesser person would have blushed at her scrutiny. His eyes were almost sparkling, if his recent beating and the death of his mother hadn't been overshadowing the light.

He was surprisingly calm. The opportunity to mock her was there. He hadn't really talked to Veronica much at all, except when she was accusing him of something or he was making fun of her. He couldn't let the opportunity go to waste.

"Okay, I do know I'm hot, but if you want to jump me, do it already."

That snapped Veronica out of her amazement at Logan's serenity. He was obviously returning to the prick she'd always known and hated (_loved?_). She cursed that little voice inside of her as she started to slam the door shut in his face. She didn't have to put up with Logan's harassment outside of school hours. He had asked her for help. She didn't have to give it.

Logan anticipated her action and slipped inside before she could shut the door. He tried to keep his smirk up, and it wasn't hard with the look on her face. She looked like she would slap him any minute and he did love to see her like that. It was deliciously fun when she was angry.

"That's hardly hospitality you're harboring here in your humble…" Logan glanced around in distaste at the small apartment, "haven."

"You learned alliteration in English today? Does that mean you get to advance to third grade now?"

The two faced off, nose to nose, both as stubborn as they could be. Fire ignited between them, the sparks almost literally spilling off their bodies. They always seemed to draw that out of each other, fire, passion, something that was at least alive. It was far from Logan's usual display of emotion of spoiled rich kid who expects everything to be given to him to jerk who wanted to hurt Veronica Mars desperately. Typically, there was nothing inside of him, no feelings, except when he was around Veronica. Whether it was lust or hate (_fine line between)_, she made him feel something. The chemistry had always been there, even when they were dating each other's best friends. And somehow, the hate brought the chemistry out even more. No escaping the reaction their personalities and bodies had already had, there was no ignoring it.

"I can already tell you're going to have to remind me constantly why I agreed to help you, because I've already lost it."

"My charm and you're desire to spend more time with me is why you're helping me."

Veronica lowered her gaze and began to flutter her eyelashes. As if on cue, her smile widened and her eyes glittered while her cheeks turned a moderately colored shade of pink. She used her best southern accent on to play the part of the belle that she had perfected months ago.

"Darn, Logan, you found me out. Ah just truly think you're the ador-able, good natuhed boy I've been waiting to love mah whole life."

As quickly as she had fallen into the southern belle routine, she fell out of it. She squared her shoulders and raised her head.

"Now that our usual repartee is over, I'm sure we can move onto why you really are here."

Logan began to shift uncomfortably. Talking about his mother was rare. She usually brought up some confusing thoughts in Logan's mind. But at least Veronica didn't tiptoe around the subject like everyone else did. She'd more or less tell him to shove it if she didn't believe him. He almost always knew where he stood with Veronica. It was something he could count on and it was one of the best parts of Veronica Mars (_he loved it about her…no, what was he thinking_). Veronica was blunt. At the moment, that was exactly what he needed.

Logan glanced around and noticed the large boxer in front of the chair. Logan made a move to sit on the couch, wondering if Backup remembered him. The dog could be pretty fierce if he wanted to be. It had been at least a year since he'd been to Veronica's house and he had never been to Veronica's apartment. She probably didn't invite too many people over. It was kind of a hole in the wall. He remembered filtering from the rumors that ran constantly about her (_half of which he started_) that the Mars' hadn't been able to afford their old house. A small amount of satisfaction had dribbled through him when he'd heard that. He was miserable because of Veronica. Lilly was dead because of Veronica. She should lose everything and more, too. Now he wondered if he had overestimated what she deserved to lose. Nah. She deserved everything she got (_famous last words_).

A growl snapped him out of his haze and he flinched when he noticed the dog stalking towards him, teeth bared. Veronica's voice broke him off. "Backup, no."

The dog growled at him once more before trotting back over to Veronica. Logan refused to show that the dog made him nervous. "You keep that mutt away from me, or I'll…"

"Get my little dog too? Right. No threats on my dog. He'd eat you in a bite if I'd let him. And if you piss me off enough, I will."

Logan ignored her comment and dropped onto the couch. He lounged casually and began to collect his thoughts. He had to figure out what exactly he was going to tell Veronica. He wasn't really into this whole therapy session he knew he would end up having with Veronica once he got started.

Veronica watched him cautiously and took her own seat next to him on the chair, scratching Backup's ears. She almost hated sitting near Logan; she hated being close to him. Because when she was near him, she hated him a lot less. At least when his mouth wasn't moving. Logan squeezed his eyes shut and he just started telling her, no more hesitation. There was no more time for hesitation.

"She was miserable with my father. We all are. He's a prick. But my mom had lived with it for years. It makes absolutely no sense that she would kill herself."

Veronica stared at him and tried to choose her words somewhat carefully. As much fun as it was to hurt Logan, she refused to do it about this.

"Well, your father cheated on her. A lot. And it became very public. Maybe it hurt her or angered her or destroyed her happy little world."

"She's the one that sold those pictures to the tabloids, Veronica. She wanted to destroy my father's career. Revenge kept my mother more entertained that she had been for years! She had a reason to live. Her suicide wouldn't hurt my father; it would free him to continue sleeping around. That's not what she wanted."

Veronica wasn't expecting that outburst. She respected a woman set on revenge. She understood the urge to get even, although their reasons were different. She understood Lynn because being a doormat had to stop at some point. She also knew that Logan was right.

"Aaron stands to gain sympathy from a suicide."

"He also won't have a pesky wife to stop him from having the affairs anymore."

Veronica's eyes widened only slightly. She wasn't used to seeing Logan's outward hostility towards his father. He usually kept it fairly well hidden. She tried to block any other emotion from seeping out besides the small amount of surprise she showed. She was good at stoicism. She always had been. She couldn't have Logan thinking that she actually cared about him.

"You believe that your father murdered your mother."

"He has no alibi. He chased after her to threaten her for using the pictures to destroy his washed up career. He went after her, he may have caught up with her."

Logan presented the information unemotionally, as if he were simply giving a presentation for a school project. Emotion would only get in the way of finding out what had really happened. It would only show vulnerability to the girl who didn't need to know when he was weak. She'd seen him weak before and it had gotten Lilly killed.

"All right. So we'll open a file on your dad. Think about other enemies your mother may have."

"Any of the women my father banged. Get my mom out of the way and they could have been the next Mrs. Echolls. I'm sure that's what he told him."

"Anyone else?"

"Trina."

"Your sister?"

"She may have been embarrassed by the tabloids and when she found out who was doing it…" Logan sighed, "I'm reaching, I know. But she hated my mother. About as much as I hate my father."

"Would you kill your father?"

Logan and Veronica's eyes connected and she shuddered involuntarily at the contact. She knew the answer. She didn't understand it. She never would and she wasn't sure she wanted to. But she suddenly had a glimpse at how bad things might just be for Logan. And it explained quite a bit.

"All right. I'll set up a file for Trina, too."

Logan nodded. "Okay." The room descended into awkward silence. He wasn't sure if there was anything left to say to Veronica. Thank her? Nah, that wouldn't happen. Logan was ready to leave when the door to the apartment opened.

"Daddy's home!" Keith Mars entered the apartment with his usual comedic presence. The smile on his face faltered when he saw Logan sitting on the couch.

"Logan?" He tried to keep the surprise from his voice. "Nice to see you again. Surprised to see you again, also."

"Yeah, well, it won't be a regular occurrence." Logan hurried from his place on the couch, ignored Backup's growl at his movement and headed for the door.

"Better get my car out of here before people realize I came to see you, Veronica."

"Yeah, I don't want to destroy my reputation by being seen with you."

Logan almost laughed at Veronica, but he resisted. The truth behind her words was entertaining, and it was very obvious that Keith didn't understand what she was saying. Veronica's reputation was long gone, but a father was typically blind to the trials his daughter goes through, it was a father's prerogative to be shielded from his daughters troubles. He gave Veronica a half-wave bye and exited the Mars apartment.

Keith watched Logan leave their small apartment with a critical eye before turning back to Veronica. He had never expected to see the Echolls kid around again, not since the death of Lilly Kane. The kids had seemed to have lost touch with each other, Duncan, Veronica and Logan. He blamed himself, because he knew it had to be because of his accusation that Jake Kane was the killer. He stood by his accusation, but it had hurt Veronica, he was sure of it.

"Well, you and Logan are friends again?" He said it conversationally, trying to get Veronica to open up. She had always been kind of tight lipped about what happened between them all. As if he didn't know the reason they'd all split.

"Hardly. Actually, he wanted to talk to me about his mom."

Keith tried to hide his surprise. High society families like the Echolls never talked about their problems with people, unless it was a psychiatrist sworn to secrecy through doctor/patient privilege.

"Why?"

"No reason, really. He just need to tell me some details about his mother's death."

Keith knew that evasive tone. He'd created it. Veronica was an excellent actress except when it came to fooling him. Maybe because he was the one who'd taught her how to lie.

"Veronica, what are you doing? Why are you involving yourself in whatever it is Logan is trying to pull?"

Veronica sighed loudly and met her father's firm gaze, her determined look on her face unwavering.

"Because, Dad, he asked me to help him. He used to be one of my best friends. Lilly would want me to help him. She loved him."

The mention of Lilly seemed to clue Keith into why she'd help Logan. Veronica would do almost anything in the memory of Lilly Kane, even reform a bond with Logan even after he'd deserted her when things got rough. Everyone else would just have to accept it, when Veronica got set in memorializing Lilly. She'd always been that way. Keith was usually proud of her for her loyalty.

"Well, be careful, Veronica. Don't get in too deep. Not with Logan. And don't just blow me off as suffering from Over-Protective Dad Syndrome."

"I won't, Dad. I'll be careful. I always am."

Keith smiled a cheesy father smile - part indulgence, part protectiveness - that Veronica received often. Veronica leaned over and kissed her father's cheek. If nothing else, she would always adore her father. No matter what happened.

Logan sat in his yellow jeep, engine off, his eyes staring straight ahead at the Suncoast Apartments neon sign. He wasn't really seeing it, but he seemed enthralled. He couldn't leave yet, not quite. He hated admitting it, but talking to Veronica was nice - almost comforting. Almost like talking to Lilly about his problems. Not that they'd ever really spent much time talking when they were together. But when they had, he'd always come away feeling slightly comforted. He didn't want to be comforted by talking to Veronica. She was the reason Lilly was dead. No. He was the reason she was dead. He was the reason Lynn was dead (_if she truly was_). If he had done more to help her, help her escape Aaron, she would be all right. He would know that. His father was behind her death, but he had contributed to it. Just as he had contributed to Lilly's murder. And he hated himself for it.


	3. Gatekeeper

**_Out of Control_**

**_Chapter Three_**

**_Gatekeeper_**

Veronica was on a mission. Rarely did she not have some ulterior motive for talking to people, unless Wallace was involved. She almost never talked to the Echolls family except when a gun was directly pointed at her head. But she needed to suck it up and have a real time conversation with Aaron Echolls, no matter how much she hated the job.

Veronica took a deep breath and walked to the gate quietly. The gate was ominous looking, a shield that reminded Veronica of an incredibly upscale prison. Apparently, Lynn Echolls felt that way as well…no, Veronica had to start thinking of the death as a homicide, not a suicide. She half expected to find the words, "All who enter are without hope" or some other Dante-like saying. Veronica decided she was spending far too much time pondering a gate, so she finally reached for the buzzer. Unfortunately, all she could see was Lilly.

**_"You think the gate really keeps people out, Ronnie?"_**

****

**_Lilly asked while her blonde ponytail bounced in the wind. She had that look in her eyes, the one that sent fear to Veronica's heart. When she had that look, they always ended up doing something that got them in major trouble or at least Lilly. Veronica crossed her arms stubbornly, trying to show Lilly that no matter what she wanted to do, Veronica would not be helping her. But Lilly was persuasive and, in truth, there was absolutely no telling her no. There never had been._**

****

**_ "Yes, Lilly. That's why they install gates. To keep unwanted people out."_**

****

**_ "Good thing you and I aren't unwanted. Who wouldn't want us around?"_**

****

**_Good question, Lilly, who wouldn't want you around?_**

****

**_ "Come on, Lilly, just ring the bell. Logan and Duncan are waiting for us."_**

****

**_ "Puppy dogs are what they are. Waiting for their masters to tell them what to do."_**

****

**_ "Lilly!" Veronica's tone was exasperated. She tossed Lilly an annoyed glance, but Lilly smiled back charmingly to win her best friend over. Veronica moved to ring the bell, but Lilly stopped her from finding the button._**

****

**_ "Wanna have some fun before we meet up with our pets?"_**

****

**_ She advanced towards Veronica, a spring in her step. Veronica began to shake her head emphatically. _**

****

**_ "No, no, no. I don't. I hate your fun, Lilly. I hate it!"_**

****

**_ "You need to loosen up, Ronnie. Seriously. Have some fun for once."_**

****

**_ Before Veronica knew what was happening, Lilly was scaling the fence. She didn't even know Lilly was strong enough to climb a fence._**

****

**_ "Lilly, stop it. You're going to set off an alarm or something. Get down from there." While Veronica seemed serious, her tone showed her amusement at what Lilly was doing. _**

****

**_ Lilly dropped down on the other side, almost falling backwards, but still able to keep her balance. _**

****

**_ "Whatever you want, Veronica."_**

****

**_ Veronica groaned as Lilly started giggling. "That's not what I meant, Lilly."_**

****

**_ "Oh, I know what you meant, babe. Now come on. I can't wait on you all day. And you can't ring the buzzer, or else I'll get in trouble."_**

****

**_ "This is stupid, Lilly. Logan would have just opened the gate for us."_**

****

**_ "How boring would that be? Now get your ass over here."_**

****

**_ Veronica let out a loud sigh before she hoisted herself up on the bars. She shimmied her way up and back down again, landing roughly on her feet, nearly knocking someone down._**

****

**_ "Lilly, I didn't – " Veronica found herself face-to-face with Lynn Echolls. Veronica's face fell in embarrassment. Lilly's laughter was raucous at that point. She'd known it was about to happen and had done nothing to stop it. Veronica opened her mouth to apologize, but nothing came out. Lynn's features spread into one of enjoyment and kindness. _**

****

**_ "Veronica, I didn't know I'd be running into you today. If I'd known you would be dropping in, I would have had someone here to greet you."_**

****

**_ Lilly's laughter spread to Lynn, who began laughing at her own jokes. Veronica lowered her eyes as her cheeks colored._**

****

**_ "Are you practicing your spy skills or is there something I can help you with?" Lynn continued with the jokes._**

****

**_ "What?"_**

****

"Is there something I can help you with, Miss?"

Veronica zoned back into reality and saw that a guard stood on the other side of the gate, staring at her through the bars. Lilly and Lynn were gone and all that was left was this bulky man in an ill-fitting suit. She was thrown a little off-kilter – a rare occurrence for Veronica. She cleared her throat and shifted her weight, trying to steady herself after her recollection of Lilly and Lynn.

"I'm here to see Aaron Echolls."

"Yeah, you and the rest of Mr. Echolls' groupies. You have more of a chance at seeing him in the city than waltzing into his protected home." The man rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "Psychotic fans."

Veronica's irritation showed on her face. Did she really look like a teeny-bopper fan of Aaron Echolls? Actually, she probably did. She used it to her advantage often enough, but at the moment, the fact was deterring her from her mission.

"Listen, buddy, I am not a psychotic Aaron Echolls fan. I've seen his movies, so that marks me off that list. I'm here on business for my father, Keith Mars. Mr. Echolls hired him to investigate several things for him and I'm the Mars Investigations assistant."

The guard still looked skeptical, which didn't serve to improve Veronica's mood any. She snapped her fingers in front of the guard's eyes, trying her best to make him focus on her, not her "teen-dream" appearance.

"Just call him and ask, Office Krupke, and he'll vouch for my identity." Veronica glared at the man and waited impatiently for the man to ask.

"I'll vouch for her identity, Jamieson. Veronica Mars, as I live and breathe, what are you doing here?"

Jamieson stepped back unapologetically and disappeared so Trina and Veronica could have a private conversation.

"I could ask you the same thing, Trina, dear. I heard you were off in Australia, or something like that."

"Had to come home and make sure my father and brother were surviving Lynn's death all right. I didn't want them to curl up in isolation here. This place could be damaging towards them if they hide out here, you know, where they have everything."

"You're familial concern is endearing, Trina."

"Well, death can bring certain things into light, like how important family truly is."

"And how to use clichés from greeting cards when referring to your family and their loss? "

Trina plastered on a fake smile as she moved to the edge of the gate to press the entry button. The two remained quiet as the gate slowly slid open and allowed Veronica inside the exclusive Echolls world. Veronica considered her words carefully. As much as she enjoyed trading barbs with Trina, she had to tread the ground gently. If she wanted Trina to open up, even for a few moments, she would have to keep things friendly. That way Trina would keep the shield down.

"So tell me, Veronica, what is it you want from us? I didn't think you were close with my little brother anymore. Not since that brat died."

"Leave Lilly out of this, Trina. Trust me, you don't want to bring her up."

"Or you'll do something horrible to me? That sounded like a threat…coming from you, that's quite entertaining."

"Honestly, Trina, I simply wanted to stop by and see how everyone was doing. I know Logan has taken his mother's death hard, and I imagine Mr. Echolls is the same. I don't really get a chance to talk with Logan at school with the way things are. I just thought I would stop by."

"How sweet. You're concern is touching." Trina threw Veronica's words back at her. Her red hair bobbed into movement as she turned on her heel and began to walk back to the house. Veronica knew that Trina was dismissing her, but she couldn't lose her chance to interview her. Not when the opportunity had presented itself.

"Logan will be home in a little bit, I'm sure, Veronica. You can wait in the pool house." Trina offered as she continued her walk up the driveway.

"Oh, but I was hoping that we could catch up, Trina. It's been so long since I've seen you. You weren't even home for Lilly's funeral." Veronica said, hoping to stop Trina from walking up to the house and slamming the door in her face.

"Well, I was hardly friends with her. Besides, I was busy shooting a movie."

"That's right. Logan mentioned that. That's why you missed Lynn's memorial service, too, wasn't it?"

"I was working. I could hardly leave my job to go to that woman's 'service'." Trina rolled her eyes and tried to remove the bitter look on her face. "Honestly, the woman killed herself when she had everything."

"Except your father's faithfulness."

"Like she needed that. She paraded herself in front of my boyfriends, Logan's friends, just so she'd know the effect she had on men. She was hardly faithful to my father."

"So you hated your stepmother?"

"That woman got everything she deserved."

And as soon as the bitterness rolled off of Trina's tongue, her smile was back in place. She pushed her hair behind her ears and shifted her weight, not nervously, simply confidently. Veronica studied her, trying to get a take on what Trina was really saying. She was being as honest as she could without even realizing it, but now Veronica had to judge whether Trina hated Lynn enough to kill her. She wondered if there was some merit to what Logan had come to her with. If what he had said was true, Trina could very possibly have done it.

"Veronica?"

Veronica started at the sound of her name being called. She hadn't even heard Duncan and Logan approaching from behind her, but she now understood why Trina's smile had reappeared so quickly. She had known that it was time for the happy sister front to return.

"Hey, Logan." Veronica added as an afterthought, "Duncan."

Duncan gave her one of those sweet smiles that caused her heart to constrict with pain, though that was never his intention to cause when he flashed it to her. Veronica glanced away from him quickly and allowed her eyes to focus on Logan. He seemed to be debating something in his head, probably whether he should be nice to her or not. It would be a change for him to treat her kindly in front of others, and that could raise suspicion. Then again, Duncan liked Veronica still and hated it when Logan tried to piss her off. And he always ran the chance of running Veronica off the case if he treated her too badly. So he settled on questioning her harshly.

'What are you doing here? It's not like you have a standing invitation to drop in whenever you like."

Veronica's eyes flashed with fire, a fire that Logan admired often enough, discreetly enough. She glanced back at Trina and turned her attention back on Logan.

"I thought I'd check on your family after your mother's untimely death and I ended up getting the chance to catch up with Trina. But I'll be on my way now. Lovely seeing you again, Trina. It's always fun."

Veronica shifted her bag to her other shoulder as she walked away from the front porch. She glanced back at Logan and tilted her head only slightly. He knew what she wanted though. He watched her walk away unabashedly, before he and Duncan entered the house. Trina muttered something smartly under her breath without acknowledging her little brother or his friend before she disappeared upstairs. Duncan wasn't sure what to say. The entire exchange had been completely awkward and he didn't quite know how he should respond.

"That was kind of weird. Veronica and Trina having a friendly chat isn't something I expected to ever see."

Logan nodded, as if agreeing, but he knew what they had been talking about. He knew what had been going on. He decided he should change the subject as soon as possible.

"Hey, man, go on out to the pool house and start up on the X-Box. I'll be there in a minute. I'm starving."

Duncan watched his friend before nodding. He decided not to press why Logan's mood was so weird. It wasn't really his place to bring it up right now. Logan would talk about what's wrong when he wanted to. Duncan walked on around the house and Logan waited on the porch. As soon as Duncan was out of sight, Logan jogged away.

Veronica felt so dirty hiding amongst the palm trees in Logan's yard. It was as if she were meeting with a secret lover, which would be exciting, if she wasn't Veronica Mars. Instead, it was all business as always. She just hoped that Logan had understood her look. It wasn't like they were on the level to have silent conversations, the way she and Lilly could, or she and Duncan, but she hoped he got this one.

"Make it quick, Mars. Duncan's waiting for me," Logan said as soon as he appeared in between palms.

"Oh, I'm sorry if this is an inconvenience. I can always leave. It won't bother me at all."

"I'm here, tell me what you think."

"You're lucky I just like to give my opinions. You know, you should be charming my pants off right now, Logan, not insulting me."

Logan raised his eyebrows and allowed a small smirk to show through.

"Interesting choice of words, Veronica."

Veronica rolled her eyes and thanked herself for not being a shy girl anymore. A year ago, she would have been blushing to the point of being even more embarrassing.

"You're such an ass, Logan."

"I love you, too. Now what do you think about Trina?"

"I think that she truly despised your mother. Some of that hate may have been deserved, but I don't know if she killed Lynn. But I'm beginning to wonder, Logan, if maybe, just maybe, there's some basis in your theory that your mother is alive."

"I thought you'd already decided that when you agreed to take on my case."

Veronica shrugged and moved on. "I'll keep an eye out on Trina. I already planted a few bugs around the outside and one on Trina. I would have liked to drop a few in your house, but I didn't get the chance to. I think I'm going to have to make an appointment with your father to be able to talk to him. You're guard dog, Jamieson, wouldn't let me in."

"Well, we try to keep trash off the premises."

The insult was out of Logan's mouth before he realized it. He was so used to saying things like that, they seemed to slip out without him being able to stop it. Veronica slapped him quickly before starting away. Logan's voice stopped her from walking, though, as did his grip on her arm.

'Veronica, wait. I didn't mean that. I'm sorry. I'm so used to trying to hurt you that I don't even realize I'm doing it anymore."

"Why is that, Logan? Why did you turn on me? Why do you want to hurt me?"

Logan looked down at his feet while he interlaced his fingers. He didn't want to talk to her about this. He didn't want to tell her that it was her fault that Lilly was dead, just like it was his fault. He couldn't tell her that, not yet.

"Please see about getting that appointment with my dad. Sorry about Jamieson. He's supposed to keep the Aaron fans at bay. He's new, so he didn't recognize you."

Veronica sighed loudly. She never would get a straight answer out of him. She should stop expecting to. Logan was a master at avoiding the truth. It seemed like he'd been doing it his whole life. He probably had. She didn't know whether she should still bother with him. But something inside her drove her to help him. She knew she had to. Lilly would want her to. She needed to. Logan needed her and there had been a time that she had genuinely adored him, as he had her. She just had to remember that when he treated her badly now.

"Whatever. I'll let you know once I talk to your father. I'll type up some notes about my talk with Trina and then I'll do the same after I talk to your father. Then we can get together and discuss what I've found before we take any other actions."

"All right."

The two stared at each other intensely, both unready to leave, but both aware that they had to. Finally, Logan took a step back.

"Well, Duncan's waiting. We don't want him to come looking for me and discover our little rendez-vous. He might get the wrong idea."

"That you and I just can't keep our hands off each other?"

"I am pretty irresistible, Veronica."

He gave Veronica a small smile, a smile that resembled one he used to give her, back when they were friends…back when they were happy. Veronica resisted the urge to return it. Instead she turned her back on him and disappeared into the trees. Logan headed back to the house, both unaware that Duncan had been watching the whole exchange, unable to hear, but very well able to wonder what was happening between his best friend and Veronica.


	4. Clueless

_**Out of Control**_

_**Chapter Four**_

_**Clueless**_

Logan reentered the pool house with his mind on Veronica Mars. It wasn't even entirely focused on creative ways she could humiliate her, either, which almost frightened him. He didn't necessarily mind the new line of thinking he had for her…even back when they were friends, he hadn't respected the spirit in her, or the attractiveness she exuded when she smiled. She was off limits, his girlfriend's best friend and best friend's girlfriend. There was no thinking of Veronica Mars that way. But now he wasn't sure how he was supposed to think of her, how he was allowed to think of her, and he knew there was no asking anyone about that. Was there really any guidelines to how you should feel for your dead girlfriend's best friend when she was willing to help you on a wild goose chase after your mother supposedly hurled herself off a bridge to kill herself? Who needed guidelines anyway? He was Logan Echolls. He did what he wanted…and who he wanted. He didn't know why he was thinking of Veronica, anyway. So, she was helping him find his mother. Big deal. That's what she did. She was supersleuth girl who did things like this for money. She wasn't his friend. They weren't going to be friends. Not after everything she had done. Not after everything he had done. He tried to put a stop to his Veronica thinking when he looked for Duncan. He carried in some drinks, fully expecting to see Duncan playing X-box in the living area.

"Hey, man, I got held up by…" he had fully planned on saying Trina, but Duncan cut him off with another name.

"Veronica?"

Logan turned around to see a sullen looking Duncan standing by one of the large poolhouse windows. Of course there was rarely a day that went by that Duncan wasn't sullen, but this was a different kind, a side that often appeared when Veronica was involved. Obviously Duncan knew she was involved with him somehow. From the tone in his voice, Logan was going to have to facilitate quite an amazing lie to get out of Duncan's disapproval of his relationship with Veronica. Duncan was still protective of Veronica, despite their extremely cold break up and lack of friendship since then.

Logan was not inclined to tell Duncan about why he and Veronica were talking. He didn't feel like seeing a pitying stare from anyone, particularly the zombie that was his best friend. Duncan lacked emotion now. Duncan didn't seem to be able to muster up any kind of feeling anymore. So he wouldn't really be able to connect with Logan on some deep emotional level concerning death. And if he did get a pitying stare from the zombie, he just might kill something. Besides, there was nothing to talk about, not until Veronica figured something out about Lynn's death. There was no conversation to have right now.

"What about Veronica?"

Logan asked, almost innocently, as he placed the drinks he held onto the coffee table. He walked towards Duncan, waiting for an answer to why Duncan had brought Veronica up. He hadn't let any hint of his new – relationship – with Veronica out at all. There were the rumors, of course, after their meeting in the girls bathroom, but he didn't imagine Duncan put any stock into those. Besides, there were so many rumors flying about both Veronica and Logan that Duncan would have to ignore them. He'd always ignored the rumors about Veronica up until this point.

"I saw you with her this afternoon, after she supposedly left. You guys looked like you were conferencing or something…"

"Now, Duncan, I promise I wasn't cheating on you." Logan said it assuredly, with a smile on his face. He was always trying to lighten the situation, make things easier on him. He wanted Duncan to laugh at his joke and drop the subject, but of course, that would be far too easy.

"Logan, I'm serious. I didn't even know you and Veronica talked. I'm just curious, okay? It's cool if you guys are friends again. I mean, it'd be easier on all of us if you were."

"Look, I will never be friends with Veronica Mars again, Duncan. She dropped her notebook and she came back for it, and I had found it on the way to the house for the drinks. I just gave it back to her. There is no deep, dark conspiracy here. It doesn't matter, man."

Duncan hesitated, wondering whether to believe Logan or not. Logan could lie very easily if he wanted to. He had the ability; he'd seen Logan talk his way out of everything. But there was nothing left for Duncan to do but accept what Logan said right now. If Logan was lying, it would come out. It almost always did.

"Okay. I just thought it was strange. I haven't seen you and Veronica that civil – well, ever, actually."

"You must have missed the part where she slapped me." Logan chuckled after that and walked back to pick up the drinks. "Now, seriously, Duncan, I thought you were here to play X-box."

Duncan slid down onto the couch and picked up the control. He pressed the button to start the game and nothing else was said about Veronica for the rest of the afternoon.

Veronica couldn't say she was happy with the way things had turned out at the Echolls' house. She felt like she hadn't been very productive, and she hated to waste her time, especially when the waste of her time had to do with Logan. However, running into Trina did help her somewhat, and knowing that she could easily meet up with her again when she was ready to talk to Trina about Lynn made her feel a little bit better about her afternoon. Well, as soon as she got back to the office, she would call Aaron Echolls, make an appointment to see him, pretend like she was doing a profile on him for the newspaper or some other ridiculous, yet somewhat plausible explanation or needing to interview him. Once she was inside the house, and in Aaron's section of it, she could look into finding evidence that would connect him with Lynn's death. She opened the door to the Mars Investigation office, ready to sit get to work. She wasn't expecting to see Wallace lounging on the couch, smile on his face while he read some piece of paper in his hand.

"What's got you so happy?" Veronica asked as she dropped her bag by the table and continued on to her desk. Wallace's grin just spread as he looked from Veronica to the paper.

"Seriously, Wallace, you're freaking me out. You've got this whole Cheshire cat thing going on…and I hate Alice in Wonderland. She was obviously on LSD." She chuckled slightly at her own distracted comment.

Wallace slid off the couch and walked to Veronica, slipping the piece of paper in front of her so she could read it.

"A party? That's what has you so excited! Wallace, if you wanted to go get drunk, I'm sure we could find other ways."

Wallace shook his head, with an almost disappointed look on his face. He stared at Veronica for a long moment before he looked back down at the flyer he'd handed her.

"Veronica, where's my super PI?" Wallace eyed her curiously and Veronica felt a little uncomfortable. Maybe it was her meeting with Logan that had thrown her off from being able to detect what it is Wallace was trying to say to her. Logan did have the ability to unsettle her, though she would never admit it under oath.

"What do you mean?"

"Look who's throwing the party, Veronica. It's not just any '09er party. It's an Echolls party."

"After Logan's mother just died? I seriously doubt that Logan is in the mood to throw a party to celebrate. And even if it is, why would I care?"

Wallace threw his hands up in the air and turned his back on Veronica as he cleared a spot on the desk for him to lean on.

"I never thought I would have to spell something out for Veronica Mars. It makes me feel kinda smart and special." Wallace perked up a little bit before he continued his explanation, "Logan isn't the one throwing the party. His older sister, Trina, who just happens to be back in town, is the one throwing it. And everyone's invited. I figured that going to this party would make things easier for you to investigate whatever it is that you're investigating for Logan."

Veronica was momentarily speechless. She stared at Wallace for more than several minutes before she replied. "What makes you think I'm investigating something for Logan? I don't even talk to Logan, hardly."

Wallace sighed. "You know, I'm not completely clueless. I do hang out with private eye girl and her private eye dad a lot. I know I'm usually just the grunt, but I do pick up some things. The rumors at school…you know, about you and Logan in the bathroom."

"Oh, the ones about me offering him some 'comfort'?"

"It's me, Veronica. Wallace Fennel. You're one and only friend."

"Thanks for reminding me of the rumors and of my lack of companionship. You really hit the make Veronica happy button."

"Veronica, you work out of the bathroom. That's where all your supersecret meetings happen. I know this. Everyone else is a little slow on the uptake. So when I heard you were in the bathroom with Logan, comfort was the last thing I thought you were giving him. A 100 dollar an hour fee for some friendly neighborhood spying sounded more accurate to me."

Veronica laughed lightly, knowing that Wallace was right. For as short amount of time that he'd been in her life, he obviously knew her well. He'd wormed his way into the marshmallow part of her demeanor and there was no one she could think of that could figure out what she was up to, despite all of her slyness.

"Okay. You're right. Except it's not $100 bucks an hour. Although that'd ease some of my financial troubles…so I should have considered it. No, Logan came to me about his mother. He thinks she was murdered. He's positive she didn't commit suicide and he thinks his father or Trina might be behind it. So he wanted me to look into it. And I couldn't say no. After losing Lilly, then his mother…"

"I don't need explanations, Veronica. I'm just trying to help you out. The sooner you figure this out, the sooner you can go back to not talking to that jerk. I thought this party might bring about the opportunity that you needed."

"You're right. Looks like we're going to an 09er party."

Wallace winked at her mischievously. "Pick me up at 9, baby girl."


	5. Party

_Out of Control_

_Chapter Five_

_Party_

Veronica didn't exactly feel out of place at the extremely overdone party she and Wallace were walking into. Her old life had been full of them, even ones when the fearsome foursome had been younger and Trina was in high school throwing them. This party screamed Trina Echolls, excessive and showy, longing for success. Teenagers spilled out of the house into the yard, enjoying the free-flowing beer and shots, glad to just be at another great party. They obviously didn't take the events that had happen to the family into consideration; in fact, it seemed apparent to her that it didn't even cross their minds. It didn't take long for Veronica to scan the living room and dining area, where even more kids milled about, plastic cups in hand. The rooms had actually been decorated with streamers and other forms of garland, metallic gold glittering all around. Knowing Trina, it really was gold hanging from the ceiling, not just to foil expected at a party. Due to the decibel of the party, Veronica made the assumption that Aaron Echolls was not home, possibly out on the town with his latest interest, despite his claims and show of mourning his late wife. Just being in the room reminded her of a different time, a time when Lilly and Logan would loiter in the hallways, watching the festivities and stealing booze from the tables, and sneaking it back to the less daring Duncan and Veronica, content to snipe at each other, then make out despite their audience. It almost hurt to be inside this house, a house she had spent considerable time in since she was 12 and Logan had moved to Neptune, and the four of them had become the best of friends. She managed to choke down her emotions just as Wallace asked her if she was okay.

"I'm cool as ice. Listen, you go mingle, enjoy the party and all that. Just make sure you don't see anyone follow me, okay?"

"Do you even know where you're going, Veronica?"

She nodded slowly, remembering that Wallace had no idea how close the four of them had been. He probably couldn't even fathom her being friends with Logan. Since he'd been there, they'd only insulted each other if they even spoke at all. He would have no idea the hours she'd spent in various wings of this mansion, and she couldn't find the words to tell him. She couldn't think about what she once had, couldn't dwell on it, without wanting to break down and cry. And she was Veronica. She was better than whining over everything she had lost.

"I do. But first, I have to find Logan. I don't even see him. It's his party."

"It's his sister's party, remember?"

She scanned the room once more, ignoring the unwelcoming looks she received as she wandered through the crowd, before she replied. "Yeah, I remember. But where there's alcohol, Logan can't be too far away."

With that, Veronica left Wallace to fend for himself in a room full of 09ers. She didn't feel too guilty about it; Wallace could hold his own. The star of the basketball team wouldn't be eaten alive in there. Even the 09ers respected skill.

She found him in his bedroom, locked away, a large bottle of vodka lying next to him. She felt a sharp pang of worry hit her as she saw the state he was in, though she would deny it to her dying day. She would never let anyone know that she was worried about him. He was stretched on his bed, a fact that Veronica tried to disregard, his eyes were closed, lips moist, reeking of alcohol. She stood in the doorway without saying anything, only staring.

"Enjoying the party, Veronica? I should have known Trina would invite you. It's quite the affair, isn't it? You'd never know the 38 year old woman who lived here was murdered a few short days ago."

The bitterness edged in his voice was only intensified by the slur his alcohol induced stupor gave him. He raised the bottle at Veronica without looking at her; he had never looked in her direction. Then he brought the neck to his lips and took another swig. He shuddered at the burn as it slid roughly down his throat, a movement that Veronica noticed. She'd seen Logan drunk before. He was usually an entertaining drunk, as he was already outgoing and without fear when he was sober. Alcohol gave him a little bit more courage, and he was rarely remorseful for doing anything. She moved to him slowly, her eyes taking a survey of the room that hadn't changed much in the year that she had stopped being friends with him. She didn't sit on the bed; she didn't quite trust herself there, nor did she trust Logan. He'd be able to turn it against her anyway. That was his specialty.

"I will admit I was surprised when I heard about it. I knew you wouldn't be throwing any parties."

"Yes, well, Trina thinks it's time to celebrate. Inheritance and all that deserves some kind of celebration. Too bad my dear sister doesn't realize that she was never in the will in the first place. Like my mother would let someone like her to get her money."

Veronica wanted to say something, inquire about what Logan was talking about exactly, but she chose not to follow her desired line of questioning. She was here to find out about Aaron, not about Lynn Echolls' will.

"Well, I thought this might be the perfect time to look through your house. Since your father is rarely out now – "

Logan rolled his eyes, then rolled off the bed. He began to sway drunkenly in the middle of the room and Veronica wondered just how much of that vodka Logan had downed in the last half hour.

"His self imposed moratorium on going out in public. He has to play the role of the mourning husband, of course. He wouldn't want his faithful fans to get the wrong idea."

"Or the police… Anyway, I was hoping I could have free reign on your father's side of the house. And possibly your mother's, if there's time."

Logan made a sweeping gesture towards the door. His smile was almost condescending, but not enough to offend Veronica to the point of refusing to help any longer.

"Mi casa, su casa." He tilted his head and waited for Veronica to leave him to his misery. The only person who had cared about him had been taken from him, brutally, and then turned around to make her look like a disturbed person. He just wanted to sulk in his thoughts, come up with creative ways of murdering his father, and ending the pain he was feeling just then. Until then, the numbness would help. Considerably.

"Thanks." She paused, her eyes studying him with something akin to concern, but not without the distrust she felt for him. "You know, Logan, if you'd sober up a bit, I could use your help. We'd go a lot faster if we went through this stuff together."

"And how, Madame, do you propose I sober up quickly?" His eyebrow raised and he raked his gaze over her body, slowly. His attraction to Veronica was obvious at the moment; he didn't even try to hide it. He didn't care if she knew that he wanted her, he didn't care if they did something he'd regret later. His defenses were down and he wasn't going to try to talk himself out of any sort of human feelings he had towards Veronica, not right then. Instead of something happening, though, Veronica's mouth turned into a pout that he recognized. She was the only person in the world that could look both stubborn and pouty at one time, with one motion of her lips. She didn't take his proposition seriously. Obviously, she wouldn't. Not after their usual sparring insults and innuendos.

She found the water on the side table, in a crystal glass that probably cost more than anything in her own kitchen, and lifted it up, tossing it in his face. He sputtered in surprise, but he wasn't that angry. He should have expected something like that from her. Still, he glared at Veronica.

"Water's supposed to help run it through the system. I just wanted you to go on with a good start."

Logan hid the smile he wanted to award her with, and allowed his smug smirk to appear, a smirk that appeared despite the fact that he had water dripping down his face.

"I thought you just wanted to get me wet." He winked at her before he found himself a water bottle. He wasn't even close to coming out of his alcohol induced daze, but he was able to stumble to the mini-fridge in the bureau to find a water bottle.

Veronica didn't comment to Logan's innuendo, just started to the door. "Listen, just take me to your dad's wing. When you start sobering, you can help, but until then, play tour guide."

Logan took a long drink from the bottle and then screwed the cap back on. He tried to forget the dull ache that was beginning to spread in his head, no surprise considering the fact that Veronica had burst into his room and began hounding him with questions and comments surrounding the people in his life. "Okay, Blondie, let's get going. The party's not going to last…well, okay, it's going to last all night. But I'm going to have to make an appearance before they come looking for me. The last thing I need is Dick and the Beav or Duncan the Drone coming after me."

Veronica sighed and followed him out the door, ready to use her supersleuth skills to crack this case.

Veronica had actually wanted to be subtle about snooping through Aaron Echolls' possessions. Unfortunately, that was considerably harder to do when his sloshed son was stumbling around the room, crashing into furniture. She didn't want the security to get suspicious and come looking to see if any of the party-goers were attempting to steal something expensive from a famous person's house. Sure, Logan being there helped her if they did come, but she'd rather avoid having to explain why they were in Aaron's wing of the house instead of Logan's.

Logan swore as he hit his leg against the large oak desk placed at the side of the room. Veronica rolled her eyes at his clumsiness, but moved to see if he was okay.

"I'm fine, Ver-on-ica." He spit her name out like it plagued his every thought, and the way he said it was enough to make her bristle. He was unapologetic; he was too consumed with the room he was standing in. This was his father's favorite room, the room where he often liked to punish Logan for making an embarrassment out of the family (like his father didn't do plenty of that). He'd always avoided the office if it was at all possible, but Veronica had insisted on checking the room out, with good reason. She hadn't really found anything in the bedroom or the living room that his father had, so the office was one of her last bets for the evening. He had begun to sober up, unwillingly, and he wished for more of that Vodka that lay abandoned in his bedroom. He was helping the girl who he had sworn to hate after she had betrayed him investigate his father for the murder of his wife. How messed up could his life be?

"You think you could stay quiet, Logan? I mean, you might as well make a billboard to put up across the PCH to announce what we're doing with all the noise you make?"

"This is my house, so I can be anywhere I want to be. Besides, there's a party going on, it's not like they can hear what's happening in here."

"So you wouldn't be worried if someone found us snooping in your dad's office?"

Veronica continued her somewhat thorough search of the desk, flipping through papers, while the computer files were burning onto a CD. She would have more time to go through those later on tonight. Still, nothing out of the ordinary appeared, which only served to frustrate Veronica, despite the fact that she had known that this whole thing could turn out to be a wild goose chase.

She was so busy flipping through the files that she didn't notice Logan's visible shudder at the thought of being found in the office. This was one of those rooms that Logan wasn't to go into, unless his father was with him. If they were caught, the guards would report it to Aaron, just because the office was a particular room in the house that was off-limits to most. He could only imagine what Aaron would do, even creepy pod Aaron who claimed to be a dedicated family man now. It would just take something like that to set him off again.

"There's nothing here, Logan. Nothing." She ejected the CD from the computer and slid it into a case. She slipped back over to him and he slung an almost friendly arm around her.

"You mean you didn't find any pieces of paper with large letters that said, 'I MURDERED MY WIFE. PLEASE ARREST ME.'? I'm absolutely shocked. I thought my father was unintelligent that way."

Veronica started out the door with him, not answering his snide comment, Logan was hurting right now and he was depending entirely too much on her to find an answer to that pain. She told herself repeatedly that she wasn't here to alleviate Logan's pain, she was here to find the truth, but Veronica knew better. She hadn't stood a chance when she'd seen that broken down Logan on her stoop, and she had wanted to help him, for herself, for Lilly

His weight was a little much for Veronica; after all, she was a tiny blond. She found herself collapsing beneath it, as he leaned a bit too heavily on Veronica. He seemed dejected, which was only heightened by his drunkenness. The solemnity of his face almost hurt Veronica to see. She was far too used to the mischievous look that graced his face daily. She hit the wall, Logan's arm blocking her in as he leaned in slowly. He was quiet for a moment, his eyes searching her face, eyes that were so full of pain and confusion that Veronica didn't know how to look away from him. She stared up at him, and she was ashamed to admit that her heart was speeding up to a fast and unsteady pounding. She thought for the briefest of moments that he might kiss her, and she wasn't sure she didn't want him to. He wouldn't deny that he liked having Veronica in this position. He knew Veronica was chalking all of this up to his inebriation, but he was sobering up by the minute. He just liked the feel of the small blond beneath him, her breath hitching in her throat at the nearness of his body. He felt powerful standing above her, boxing her in, searching her for any sign of weakness. She kept her face stoic, but she was unable to move her eyes from his face. He felt her studying him, felt like she was prying into him, settling herself under her skin, and he wondered how he would ever be able to get her out of it again. He considered moving, letting her go, but he wanted so badly to taste her, to know whether she tasted all sugary or spicy, to know what it felt to have her tremble beneath his hands. Despite his better judgment, he leaned to her.

That's when they heard the voices.

"Little brother, I would think you and Veronica could find somewhere besides the hall to get frisky with each other." Trina's voice was sharp and whiny all at the same time. Logan lifted his head, a weight settling into his stomach. He had been so close to sampling Veronica, making her want him (a thought that thrilled him almost as much as it terrified him). Trina was there to ruin everything, though, of course, as well as several 09ers.

Veronica slipped out from beneath his weight, but her hand remained on his arm, steadying him. "He's had a bit too much to drink. He was wandering around, so I thought I'd get him back to his room."

"We know why she wants him there…" Veronica didn't know who had whispered it, but the intent was enough.

"You can take care of your brother, though, Trina. You're the one that wanted a party."

She hurried from the hallway, her heart pounding in her ears. She couldn't think. She could barely breathe. Of course, she was still going to be the talk of the party. Everyone loved to speculate about the comfort Veronica gave Logan, even when it was nothing. But that wasn't what bothered her. What bothered her was the fact that when she had seen Logan above her, moving towards her mouth, ready to descend on her own, she had wanted it with every fiber of her being. And that was wrong on so many levels. She saw Wallace chatting up a couple of the cheerleaders in the corner, and she hated to disrupt him when he had his A-game on, but she had to get out of that house. Immediately.

"Wallace, I need to get outta here. Are you ready?" She asked, like it mattered whether he was ready to go or not. He gave the cheerleaders a longing look before he nodded.

"Yeah, I'm ready."


	6. Aaron

_**Out of Control**_

_**Chapter Six**_

_**Aaron**_

Veronica sat at her desk inside the Mars Investigations office, waiting to make the phone call to Aaron Echolls' secretary to make an interview for that piece on Aaron she was 'writing' for the Neptune Navigator. She sat in day-dreamy silence, remembering the feel of Logan's hot breath on her neck, the surprisingly comforting scent of alcohol and cologne overwhelming her, the speeding up of her heartbeat under Logan's not-so-gentle touch. She had hardly been able to take her mind off of that heated moment all day. She had walked away from Logan when she'd seen him in the hall, not even giving him a chance to begin their usual banter. Logan had always been able to get under her skin: as a friend and enemy. He had been there, mocking her, trying to turn Veronica into a not-so-innocent double of Lilly. Later, his insults were the only ones that got to her, always knowing exactly what to say to hurt her. But this was a different way to unnerve her. This was a way that she could not abide. She would have to make sure an occurrence like that didn't happen like that again. No matter how much she liked the closeness.

As if to prove her point of not caring about Logan's latest ploy to upset her, she grabbed the phone up to make the interview. The sooner she finished with Logan's case, the sooner their somewhat civil contact would end. She took a deep breath and prepared her best preppy high school voice.

"Aaron Echolls' office. This is Janet speaking."

Even though the secretary couldn't see the mocking smile on Veronica's face, it appeared to complete her role.

"Janet, hi. This is Veronica Mars. Mr. Echolls hired my dad as a private investigator not too long ago."

"Yes, Ms. Mars, I know who you are." Janet's voice was considerably cooler after Veronica's initial introduction. Obviously another fan of her father's. Or maybe Veronica's own infamy had reached her.

"Okay, great. Anyway, I'm doing an article for the Neptune Navigator about Aaron and I was really hoping I could slip in for an interview."

"I'm afraid Mr. Echolls is terribly busy with work. And he's still mourning his wife, a woman he has loved for years. I do not think he will have time to take an interview with an amateur reporter for a school newspaper. He is too important for that, Ms. Mars."

Veronica hadn't expected to hit a wall with the secretary. Making an interview with Aaron was supposed to be the easy part. Aaron was always willing to do something for Neptune High as long as it ensured the graduation of his son in a high standing spot. Which it did, obviously. There was a reason Logan hadn't been expelled several times over. She would have to play this differently. She would have to find a more creative way to convince Janet to let her have an interview with the Great and Powerful Aaron. Appealing to her school spirit obviously did not work. Yes, she was going to have to use Logan to get this interview.

"I'm sorry for not mentioning this earlier, Janet. It was Logan's idea for me to do this interview. He already offered his dad's time. I didn't think to tell you. Logan truly didn't believe making an appointment would be a problem. He would have done it himself if he had known you would make this into an issue. He still can, if you'd like."

Veronica could almost hear her angry breathing through the phone. The line was silent for a few brief moments before the clicking of a keyboard told Veronica that she had gotten through to the woman.

"That is not necessary, Ms. Mars. Would tomorrow at 4 work for you?"

"That would be perfect. Thank you, Janet."

Veronica didn't wait for Janet's reply, but instead disconnected, completely satisfied. She should have started out using Logan. Who knew her charm didn't work on everyone?

Logan relaxed by his pool, letting the sun beat down on him. He was feeling a little too hot, possibly because he'd consumed a great deal of alcohol before laying out in the deck chair. He had come straight home from school and began drinking from the annoyance that the day was. His mind had been on Veronica all day; he couldn't even think of a good insult to throw her way. He was becoming far too involved with her, when they had barely even had a civil conversation in a year. Yes, he liked the fire that Veronica put in each of their confrontations, but being nice to Veronica caused this look on her face that got under his skin even more than the one she shot him when she loathed him. He could see her looking at him, with a little bit of pity and a little bit of lust, and it was all he could do not to kiss her. Now that look was in his head and he didn't know how to make it go away.

He let his head lull to the side, pushing his sunglasses back against his face. He let his hands drum against the arm rest as he tried to force Veronica out of his head. He had made a mistake asking Veronica to help him with his mother's death. Obviously, he shouldn't have done it. If he hadn't, his mind wouldn't be on her, wondering what it would be like to taste her lips (they could be sweet or salty, he would expect both from her), what it would be like to hold her close and feel her melt in his hands (was she the melting type? Or would she be able to fight it the way she fought talking to him daily). He should have investigated his mother's death on his own time, with his own terms. Maybe that's what he needed to do. Set some terms with Veronica. If they figured out the right boundaries, she could keep working on the case and he could stop fantasizing about her.

"Logan."

Logan was brought out of his proud reverie by his father's not too thrilled tone of voice. When was his father ever thrilled? Even with all of his claims of becoming a family man, Aaron couldn't disguise the contempt he felt towards his only son. Why Logan was such a disappointment was rarely clear, despite the 'reasons' Aaron threw his way.

Logan slipped his sunglasses up to let them rest at the top of his head. He eyed Aaron cautiously before replying.

"Dad."

"I got an interesting phone call today. Rather, Janet did. From Veronica Mars. She wanted an interview with me for that worthless school paper of yours."

"With coverage like that, Dad, no wonder you're a star."

"Janet obviously told her I was too busy for an interview with the school paper, but then Veronica told her that you'd already volunteered my services during class today."

Logan was surprised by that comment, but it made sense. If Veronica was hitting a stone wall as far as being able to talk to Aaron, Logan could see why she used his name to get herself in. Unfortunately, by the look on Aaron's face, the repercussions of Veronica's decision weren't going to be beneficial to Logan.

"Well, you are always so willing to help me out, since Mom died. You told me you were done with show business and that you want to be here for your family. Veronica needed this interview, so I didn't think you'd mind."

Logan's voice sounded taunting enough to revive the violent Aaron Echolls. He stalked forward, his chin low, his fists forming at his sides. Logan was ready to feel the fists; he was ready for whatever Aaron wanted to throw his way. Logan stiffened just as Aaron reached the edge of the chair, but just as quickly as Aaron's rage came, it passes. He suddenly straightened, unclenched his fists and brushed some imaginary dirt off the front of his pants.

"Don't volunteer my services again, Son."

Logan was surprised by the difference in reaction Aaron had just had. He had fully expected to be beaten to a bloody pulp by Veronica's unwitting mistake, and to see the rage just vanish from Aaron scared him more than the actual rage itself. Logan nodded briefly.

"I won't."

Aaron turned on his heel and strode away, with a little more force to his step than usual. Logan leaned back against his chair, trying to recapture the drunken Zen state he had achieved before. But any chance at relaxation he had was gone after that scene with his father and the suppressing of reaction he'd seen. He could only hope Veronica wasn't faced with the explosion.

Veronica stood outside of Logan's house once again. She didn't have a problem getting past the gate this time, but she didn't feel any more comfortable at being in front of the house. She rang the doorbell, then fiddled with the buttons on her jacket, hoping a maid would answer the door and not Logan. Her wish was granted when she saw Lucia in her starched uniform with a smile on her face.

"Miss Veronica, we've been expecting you. Mr. Echolls is waiting in his office for you. It is so good to see him getting back into the routine of things. He's been so depressed since Mrs. Echolls' – departure."

Lucia hesitated after mentioning Mrs. Echolls – as if remembering how truly unhappy she had been in her life – in her marriage. She could hardly believe Mr. Echolls' reaction after all the turmoil in his relationship with his wife that he had caused. Lucia was no idiot; she knew what went on in this household that she cared for. But to see the change in Mr. Echolls warmed her heart because of the positive effect it would have on his children. She just wished it could have happened before Mrs. Echolls had escaped her misery in a different way.

"I was ecstatic when Logan said his dad would do this for me. It's going to be one of the best articles the Navigator will have had all year."

Veronica entered the house, adjusting her bag on her shoulder, watching Lucia carefully as she closed the door. Lucia had been a maid at the Echolls house for years. Lynn had been the one to hire her, and Lucia had served dutifully and with a dedication rarely seen. She had been around so long; she probably knew everything that had happened in the house. Help staff had this remarkable ability to remain unseen, even when standing in the middle of the room. She seemed convinced by Aaron's new person act and Veronica knew he wasn't a good enough actor to fool the help. He was committed to it, if only for a few weeks. The real question was what had changed Aaron's outlook on life and how long it would last. She might have to talk to Lucia sometime if she needed more information on the relationships involved.

Lucia started walking down the hall, beckoning Veronica to follow. She continued to talk to her as they made their way briskly to the office.

"It's been good to see you around here again. You lift the spirits of that boy in a way that no one else has been able to, not since the late Miss Kane. You're bringing life back into this house."

Lucia stopped abruptly and turned to Veronica. She squeezed Veronica's shoulders, smiling at her.

"Thank you, dear girl. Since Mrs. Echolls, there haven't been smiles from anyone except for Miss Trina. She is, after all, an actress. Mrs. Echolls' absence has taken all the chances of happiness in this house away and you have brought it back."

Veronica didn't miss the sad look in her eyes, as she talked about Mrs. Echolls. Lynn brought some kind of gentleness to the house that softened the anger boiling inside, even in her drunken state. Veronica just wasn't sure how she felt about the pressure Lucia was putting on her. She was here to find out if Lynn's death was a homicide, not ease the pain of all those left behind. Somehow, Veronica didn't have the heart to let her down, though.

"Thank you, Lucia."

Lucia cleared her throat, then turned back to walk to the office. She knocked on the door briefly, and waited for the resounding, "Come in."

Lucia smiled once more at Veronica before stepping back and allowing her to enter the office. Veronica walked confidently inside, finding a chair on the outer side of Aaron's desk. Aaron didn't look completely happy about Veronica's presence, but he had enough sense to at least act the part.

"Veronica, it's great to see you again. I'm looking forward to this conversation."

Veronica returned his careless grin and pulled out her laptop. She opened the top, pulling up the word file she would need. "Don't expect me to be easier on you than any other journalist just because I'm a high school student."

"From you, Veronica, I would expect no less." His eyes said something different from what his mouth said. There was nothing Veronica hated more than being underestimated. She started with the simple, mundane questions that would make him drop his guard. She loved the fact that Aaron could think of nothing more interesting to talk about than himself. He obviously had an ego larger than anyone else she knew, and that included Logan and Dick Casablancas combined. She waited it out, listening to his boring stories of the biz that he believed were being told in a clever, creative way. Finally, when he mentioned Lynn in his last story, Veronica realized that her opening was here.

"Your wife's sudden death occurred recently. How are you dealing with her death, Mr. Echolls?"

His eyes clouded appropriately in sadness, but she could see an underlying malice in them. He wasn't expecting Veronica to approach that topic, but he was ready to give her the stock answer.

"My wife's death was a shock. I don't know what caused her to take her own life; I wish I had been able to help her. Lynn's depression wasn't evident to me, and if I had known, I would have done something to stop this from happening. If only I had known what she had been thinking, if only I could have talked some sense into her. But I can't live with my if onlys. I'm trying to put my life back together, and my family, and that's the best that I can do now."

Veronica stopped listening when his sentence If only I had known what she had been thinking, if only I could have talked some sense into her. Was that his way of saying if he had known that, he wouldn't have killed her? Did he feel that he had been left no choice in some sick twisted way? She made note of that comment and saved the file she had made up of the Echolls family. Then she saved the second word document she would use for the fluffy piece she wrote for the newspaper.

"I would appreciate it if you stopped asking me questions about my wife, Veronica. And please do leave that from the article. I don't want my wife's memory used as a sensational piece for a newspaper, even if it's the school newspaper."

"No problem, Mr. Echolls. I'm sorry I asked. Thank you for your time. I think I have all that I'll need for my newspaper article."

The fake smile was back on his face as he nodded his head. "I'm always glad to help out the Pirates. Thank you, Veronica. I look forward to reading your piece."

Veronica gathered her things and put them back in her bag. Now she would try to snoop through Lynn's belongings and see what she could find. She loved being able to have access to the house. She just had to hope she didn't get caught.


	7. Murder

_**Out of Control**_

_**Chapter Seven **_

_**Murder**_

Lynn Echolls had excellent though somewhat ostentatious taste in decorating. Veronica had always believed that to be so. Seeing Lynn's more private quarters confirmed Veronica's belief. Veronica would never understand the concept of having separate quarters that rich people seemed to hold steadfastly to. Lynn had a sitting room, closet that might as well have been another room, a bathroom almost the size of Veronica's apartment, and of course, a bedroom. Lynn had obviously lived here the last few months of her life, away from her cheating husband, probably in this haven she assumed would be a safe distance of separation from her turbulent-tempered husband without having to go through the embarrassment and trouble of a divorce. Perhaps Lynn had been wrong. It was possible he had stopped her from keeping up the thought process of never forgiving him for repeatedly humiliating her, privately and publicly, and never really caring about his family in a more permanent manner.

Veronica felt eerie for invading this woman's space. Nothing had been moved in the rooms, as if they were frozen in time. Veronica was in the bedroom first. The bed was made perfectly in a satin coverlet, the only sign that she had ever slept in it was an indention on the pillows and a night gown pooled on the edge of it. On the night table next to the bed was a tumbler that remained open and a half-empty glass with some kind of pungent alcoholic drink in it, along with several bottles of prescription pills. What a sad life she had ended with. How miserable she had been, no matter how much money she had to take care of her.

Veronica scanned the dressing table, surprisingly cluttered compared to the rest of the room, mostly with make up and perfumes, along with jewelry boxes full of pieces that would pay for an entire semester of classes at Stamford for each piece. This room was ready to be used again, ready to be moving on to another day; not the room of a person who's day it was the last they would be alive. Lynn Echolls had planned on returning later, and that was not the obvious thought process of a woman who intended to commit suicide later that day. Logan wasn't completely out of his mind. Lynn had been murdered. She wasn't just jumping to conclusions to ease Logan's sorrow. He had been right. Now the question was who had killed her and did Logan have the right suspects? She should obviously take his suspicions into account. Yes, his feelings towards his family colored his view, but he had seen the truth about his mother's death when all the signs had pointed to suicide and neither option he had to live with were favorable. It was possible that Logan could be somewhat objective on that suspect list.

Veronica glanced at a clock on the wall. She had maybe eight more good minutes that she could search the rooms before they discovered she hadn't left directly after her interview. Logan couldn't be her cover this time either. He wasn't home. She had seen him leave with Dick and the Beav through the window in Aaron's office. Without Logan as her backup, she was alone in this house. Veronica moved from the bedroom to the sitting room, a large space where the blinds were drawn to provide comforting darkness. This room was decorated in moody blues, light fabrics, and white wood furniture. Dozens of trinkets sat on bookcase shelves, each figure seeming less useful than the one next to it. Veronica wanted to run her hands over the pieces but she figured she might disrupt the neat order they had been put in. Not that Lynn would ever notice the difference. Lucia might if she came into this room anymore. Veronica turned to a side table next to a brocaded chair and opened the drawer. Inside laid a ball point pen, some magazines and a leather-bound notebook. Veronica flipped through the pages, seeing Lynn's handwriting filling them to the point that the book was almost full.

A journal? A journal definitely might hold the evidence that could give her clues for Lynn's case. This was the type of item she had been searching for. Veronica had a hunch she wouldn't read a suicidal woman's troubled words, even if her words and stories were full of sadness and pain. Neither Veronica nor Logan would deny Lynn's unhappiness. They never had thought that throughout this whole investigation. Veronica slid the journal into her messenger bag and took one last, deliberate look around the room. She would have to settle for this journal. It may be enough to lead her in the right direction. She couldn't wait to tell Logan about this progress.

Veronica had waited longer than she had desired to settle in and read the diary. She almost felt guilty for invading Lynn's private thoughts, but it might not be an invasion of privacy anymore since she was dead. Veronica was tired of wondering constantly about what she did for the investigations she had taken on. Maybe she felt this guilty because she had known Lynn. Reading someone's personal thoughts, even an acquaintance's, was too much of an invasion. This reminded her of Sarah and she remembered just how well that had turned out. She hoped that Sarah's situation was what caused the apprehension about reading this journal. No telling what dark reveals and musings Lynn had in this book.

Veronica turned on her bedroom lamp, holding the journal tightly in her hands, ignoring the feeling and her analysis of it. She slipped into her bed, pulling the blankets around her, preparing herself for a long night of reading. The first few entries reminded Veronica of a middle schooler's diary, a variable who's who gossip list and a fully detailed description of parties attended and thrown. The passages were surprisingly upbeat, yet somewhat staged and fluffy. Soon, Veronica noticed the turn in the pages. The stories were full of being cheated on, feeling worthless and used up, and her fear for her son's sanity and safety.

Veronica put the journal down for a moment and considered what she had just learned. Lynn feared for Logan's safety? The sanity part she fully understood. But safety? Had Logan been abused? Was he still? Had Lynn been abused? Not a single word spoke about her fear for her own safety. Not yet, anyway. She didn't seem physically afraid of anyone, only worrying about losing her family or love from her fans, but never her own life.

This was almost too much to read in one setting; Lynn had led this tormented life that no one had known about – except maybe Logan. No wonder Logan had been devastated by her death. They sounded like allies in a war zone the way Lynn had spun it.

A knock on her door surprised her. Her father had been busy watching a baseball game on television, and when her dad watched baseball, he fell into a world that no one else could come into.

"Come in."

Logan stood in her doorway, looking extremely out of place in her bedroom. He seemed almost unsure of where to go, so he settled for just barely inside the room.

"Your dad let me in. He was ecstatic to see me, especially since I interrupted that baseball game he was watching."

"I wasn't expecting you. You know, you can sit down. Assuming my dad didn't kick your ass when he saw you on our doorstep."

Logan cracked a smile and moved to sit on the edge of her bed. The two tried their best to ignore the unusual awkwardness that filled the space between them, unsure of why it was there.

"Well, you interviewed my dad, so I wanted to know if you found anything out. I waited for you to call me, but you never did."

"Waiting by the phone for little ol' me. I'm flattered." Veronica paused then pushed on through. "I didn't know your dad had a penchant for violence."

Logan seemed confused by her statement. Had his father lost his temper and tried to hurt Veronica? She did have the ability to get under anyone's skin if she wanted it to. Veronica appeared to be unharmed, but Aaron rarely left marks where anyone could see. Logan took a deep breath, wonder what exactly he had dragged Veronica into. Instead of asking her if she was okay, though, Logan decided to take a different approach.

"What do you mean? He is capable of murdering my mother; we already had that conversation."

Veronica was staring at him wit an unrecognizable look in her eyes. Understanding. Sympathy. **_Pity_**. Loathing for that last emotion boiled inside of Logan. Veronica was the one person he could always count on to give it to him like it was, kid gloves gone. He was not going to let her pity him, no matter what reason she had. She would stay the same as she had always been. Before he could express his outrage and rid Veronica of any pity she could hold for him, she was speaking in carefully chosen words.

"Did your father ever - hurt you?" Logan was shocked by what Veronica had said. No one had ever accepted the concept of him being abused. A practiced blind eye had always been turned to it and Logan had soon learned that Aaron would always be respected and admired and no bad qualities would ever be associated with him, no matter what he did.

Veronica took Logan's shocked silence as her answer. She wondered how long it had gone on. How could she not have noticed the signs? She prided herself on being a super sleuth and she had never noticed her friend from a lifetime ago was being abused. She was obviously not nearly as observant as she liked to think and her lack of observation allowed Logan to be continually hurt. Had anyone else known? Like Duncan or Lilly or Dick?

"Why do you ask these questions? That doesn't' have anything to do with my mother's death!"

Logan jumped to his feet. He was no longer dealing well with Veronica dredging into his life and snooping through it. She was investigating his mother, father, sister, and friends. Not him.

"Where did you get that idea anyway, Veronica?"

She ignored his question and replied with one of her own.

"Are you denying it?"

Logan tried to calm himself. He didn't know why he felt this rage inside for her asking valid question. He sank back onto the bed and resigned himself to what he was going to have to admit. "No."

The word echoed in the room, hung in the air uncomfortably as both processed the action of admission. Silence oppressed them. Logan refused to look at Veronica; she was the only person besides Lynn that had ever been told that Aaron was abusive and believed it. She fiddled with the journal in her hands, trying to figure out what to say and how to say it.

"I found a diary your mom wrote. She was afraid for you, you know."

She didn't say anything about what Logan had just said. She thought it might be better this way – for now at least. And this way, at least Logan knew that his mom loved him. And worried for him. Like any rational mother would have.

Logan sat up, alerted by what Veronica had said, somewhat relieved that Veronica had outright acknowledged his admission. He had something else to focus on now, not his father's abuse. He had never known that his mother had kept a journal. She had never really seemed like the type to keep one. He wanted to see the book himself, read the words of what she had been thinking the whole time she had been married to his father. He wanted to know what she had thought of him, whether she had been ashamed of him, whether she had loved him.

"A journal, where is it?"

Veronica held up a colorfully decorated book that matched his mother's true personality, before Aaron had sucked it out of her. He reached for it, but Veronica pulled it away.

"I haven't finished reading it yet. This journal has been virtually untouched by anyone but your mom. I could find a lead in this. But I need to read it untouched. I promise I will let you read it, have it, after I'm done."

"That's ridiculous, Veronica! Do you think I'm going to temper with this evidence? Maybe I'll take out any incriminating evidence against myself. I wouldn't have asked you to investigate her death if I had killed her. Come on, Miss PI, use your own brain."

"I can't risk the diary accidentally falling into the wrong hands. What if the killer saw you with it and stole it? What if you misplace it? I've got it here and safe. It's staying with me until I've scoured every inch of it."

Logan was shooting fire out of his eyes at her. She refused to feel guilty for her rough tone. He had provoked her easily enough. Everything she had just said was completely true. She was less likely to lose it or have someone spy on her to see if she had found anything. Logan would be a prime target, especially since he had taken Lynn's death the worst. Still, Veronica let her voice soften slightly," I know you want it to feel close to her. If my mom had written a journal and someone else had it and refused to let me read it, I would go crazy waiting. But I will give it to you. Give me a couple of days."

Logan stood, knowing there wasn't anything he could do about it right now. Once the tiny blond got something in her head, she refused to compromise.

"Whatever, Veronica. Enjoy your juicy gossip column. I'm sure you'll find some good tidbits of scandal in it."

Logan stood and skulked from the room, looking miserable and angry. And this time Veronica was the one that had caused that look.


	8. Suspects

**Out of Control**

**Chapter Eight**

**Suspects**

Veronica didn't feel any better about reading the journal after Logan left. She wasn't trying to specifically hurt him by reading the column. He was the one that asked her to help in the first place. She had to read this journal to understand the way Lynn Echolls' brain worked. Without understanding Lynn, she would never be able to come up with who would try to kill her. Veronica needed to know what Lynn thought about the people who surrounded her and the life that she lived so gaudily. Logan was wrong. She wasn't just reading the journal to pry into his personal life. She didn't want some juicy details into the life of a star. She was trying to get to the truth.

Lynn's journal made it clear that she felt concerned about Aaron's personality and…well, Veronica decided to call them behavioral quirks. She saw Aaron as a volatile, faithless egomaniac that would easily turn on her just as he had their son. He mostly seemed content to take his frustration out on his son, dote on his daughter and change his MO where Lynn was involved. All of these secret traits of Aaron's that he hid so carefully from the adoring world made it seem high likely that Aaron could have killed Lynn.

However, Lynn also had interesting insights on several other people in the journal as well. She wrote about people important to Neptune from the Kanes and the Casablancas family, Keith, even Weevil. Some weren't surprising, such as her view of Dick and Cassidy, or the one about her father that indicated she thought that Keith had been unfairly kicked out of the Sheriff's seat. Her on-target insights on the Kanes worried her. And the fact that Lynn even knew Weevil existed shocked Veronica. Lynn didn't like Trina, but she never really seemed concerned about her safety when around the actress. She obviously didn't consider Trina capable of any kind of plot, particularly one that had people believing that Lynn had committed suicide.

As Veronica read farther into the diary, she noticed that Lynn began mentioning a man – a producer – who she met regularly during the week. She seemed almost smitten with him. Veronica soon realized that Lynn herself was carrying on an affair, after all the pain that she had felt from Aaron's, she had found someone else to help her through that pain. Perhaps Lynn felt like she was even exacting some revenge on Aaron, while finding a way to make herself happy. By the last pages of the diary, Lynn seemed to have fallen in love with this man, though she tried to break it off for Logan's sake. She knew that Logan was furious with Aaron for the affairs he had carried on and the embarrassment that the gossip columns had caused him. Her usual façade of drunken trophy wife had brought a protective streak in Logan that she loved and appreciated. She didn't want to hurt him any more, such as if word got out that Lynn was in love with a highly known producer while still married to Aaron Echolls. However, breaking if off didn't work. The last page of the diary showed Lynn's contemplation of divorcing Aaron and taking Logan to another home and starting fresh with the new man in her life. And then the diary ended, pages still empty, waiting to be filled. This never would be, since she had died. Veronica could see why Logan believed his mother had been murdered. At the end of her life, Lynn did not sound suicidal. Perhaps melancholy, but she was thinking about starting a new life. A woman who believed she would begin with a man she loved and her son wouldn't commit suicide. She just had to figure out who had murdered her.

Aaron? A husband scorned? A man who believed only he had the right to have affairs, not his pretty brainless trophy wife.

The producer? Content to be a partner in an affair, but terrified of an actual commitment to a woman who had fallen for him?

If only Lynn had used a name. She had simply called him the producer or used pronouns. She had never used his name. Maybe she was afraid of what Aaron would do if he found her journal.

She brought the journal to school the next day. She was going to give it to Logan now. She had finished. She had scoured the pages repeatedly for clues. And now she felt that Logan had the right to read his mother's thoughts. Her words might provide comfort to him, particularly once he read how much Lynn had truly loved him, even when she hadn't quite been the best mother or capable of showing it. Logan would be able to forgive her for not stepping in when Aaron beat him. Logan would be able to forgive her for staying in a miserable life for so long. Logan would be able to see her as a person.

He was sitting with Duncan, Dick, Beaver, Caz, Meg, Madison and a few others. They were eating lunch and Logan was being his typical self. She didn't particularly want to go over there and talk to him. Not in front of everyone like this. Who knows what would be said if she went to their table, crossed the boundaries uninvited? Logan had been so angry about the journal, though, and she wanted to give it to him as soon as possible. So he could begin to move on while she closed into what happened. She took a deep breath, not afraid, just calming her nerves, and marched to the table.

"Logan, I need to talk to you." The whole table stopped and fell into complete silence, staring at Veronica and then Logan. They were obviously waiting for Logan to just tell her off. He obviously wanted to, because of his residual anger from the night before. Duncan appeared the most interested, not because he wanted Veronica put in her place, but because he had seen them at the mansion, seen the way the two interacted when no one was looking. They almost seemed like they liked each other then.

"Why don't you pull up a seat, then, Ronnie? I mean, I'm sure we could all use some after lunch servicing before school starts up again. Right, guys?"

Veronica took a deep breath, trying to keep her anger in check. Logan hadn't made a slut remark in a while, so she had taken that silence for granted. She wanted to blurt everything out that she knew, air his dirty laundry in front of everyone, to show him that he couldn't treat her this way. But she wouldn't. Because she pitied him. And sometimes she even felt something warm inside her for him – not that she would tell him that in a million years. Just because his current words made her ice cold inside didn't mean she would always feel that way.

"I thought that's what Madison was for." She smiled sweetly before lifting the book out of her messenger bag. "But that's beside the point. This is kinda important…"

She waved it around easily; making it look like anyone could snatch it out of her hand. Dick made a motion for it, but she shook her head and held it closer to her.

"What is it, your porn shots, Veronica?" Dick said laughingly.

"I'd let you see the book to prove otherwise, Dick, but I think the words might confuse you. You're more of a picture book kind of guy." Veronica turned on her heel, but Logan stood to follow her.

"Seriously, man, you're going?" Dick questioned more than shocked. Logan shrugged it off and responded. "Hey, I want to check out the book. I mastered reading a few years ago…."

Logan followed her. He was unaware that Duncan stood and followed him a few seconds later.

"What, do you have more questions for me, Veronica? Like is it true that my dad hung me from my thumbs from a tree on my seventh birthday? Or did he really install a rack in the basement for those times that I was really bad?" Logan called this after her when they turned the corner and were behind the school building. The bitterness was back in his voice.

Veronica handed him the journal quickly, shaking her head. She appreciated his medieval torture references, but she knew he was just angry that she knew about the abuse he had suffered. The man had pride and he felt that being beaten made him less of a man, obviously. "No. I wanted to give this to you. It's extremely insightful. I was able to narrow it down to two suspects. Your father. And a producer."

Logan was surprised that Veronica lacked a snarky response to his comment. So instead of continuing to try to pick a fight with her, he decided his mother was more important than any silly form of foreplay they may usually enact.

"What's the producer's name? And why?"

Veronica shrugged unhappily. "I don't know his name. She never wrote his name. And you really need to read the journal before I'll talk to you anymore about the producer. But when you're done reading, we'll get together and form our hypothesis. We may not have any good proof of murder yet, but maybe if we can figure it out we'll be able to set him up. And then we can wrap him in a pretty red bow for Lamb. He won't understand to arrest him unless he's in the police station already."

Logan stared at Veronica, hardly believing that this whole ordeal was almost over. Veronica was down to two suspects. He sincerely hoped it was his father, so they could be rid of the bastard for life. He needed to be done with that man. He didn't want some unknown producer be his mother's murderer. It had to be his father.

"You are good at this, Veronica. I don't know how you got the knack for it, but you've figured out that my mother didn't commit suicide, that she was murdered and who it could be. Thank you for doing this." Logan spoke these words tenderly.

"Did you just give me a compliment?" Veronica eyed him with suspicion. He nodded, looking down for a moment at the journal in his hands. He felt suddenly unsure of what they were doing; standing close at the side of the building that no one could see. Obviously this was a great place to talk about murder. But it was not a great place to fight the feelings he had on occasion towards Veronica.

Her eyes were almost soft, not hating when she looked at him. He had the feeling that reading Lynn's journal brought a whole new light to his life and attitude. He didn't particularly know how he felt about her reasoning out his behavior and attitudes. She wasn't supposed to feel softness towards him. They were not friends. They would never be friends. Not again. Little did he know that Veronica thought the same things. Yet somehow, the two of them now staring at each other, eyes locked, reason was disappearing. She didn't believe in animal magnetism, but the two of them seemed to be falling closer and closer to one another without actually making an effort to move.

Their lips met softly. As if neither one had control of their bodies, they were together, their arms around one another, seeking solace in one another. The kiss turned to all the passion that the two felt towards everything they did –whether it was work, being a jerk or outcast, or as they present situation showed, kissing. Neither seemed inclined to part, but they did. Just as they had no control over the beginning of their kiss, they had no control over the ending. Or the fact that Duncan had made a noise from the corner, something of shock and disgust that snapped them back to reality. He had heard everything, from the conversations about the journal to the kiss.

They sprang apart and eyed Duncan cautiously. They glanced at each other, both surprised by the emotions that they felt just before Duncan had ruined everything. They both shifted somewhat uncomfortably, unable to speak to one another privately because of the prying eyes of Duncan Kane. Why he had suddenly turned into a peeping tom, Logan didn't know. He certainly didn't appreciate being spied on by his best friend. However, Logan was sure Duncan didn't appreciate his best friend kissing his ex-girlfriend whom he was still in love with. Duncan stared at them.

"Well, I didn't really expect all of this." He said it simply and they knew he was indicated everything he had just observed, not just the kiss. Then Duncan turned and left, without another word. He didn't have anything to say. He couldn't begrudge his friend happiness, not after hearing that his mother had been murdered. Veronica was right, even if she hadn't proved it yet. Veronica was always right. He had learned this early on. He wished Logan could have found happiness somewhere other than in Veronica's arms, but he wouldn't stop it. They weren't together. He had lost his chance.

Logan seemed torn. "I feel like I'm supposed to go running after him like a girl, pleading for forgiveness or something."

Veronica chuckled lightly, more to break the uncomfortable feelings she had, then at what Logan had said. "What was that? Why did we – "

"Have a hot and heavy kiss on the side of the school directly after talking about my mother's murder?"

"It sounds even stranger when you put it into words like that."

"We're not exactly the most normal people, Veronica." He seemed just as off-kilter as she did which did absolutely nothing to comfort her. She thought of Lilly, of Duncan, of the weirdness of their entire situation. She couldn't kiss Logan. She couldn't even think about kissing Logan. But oh, those lips. Who knew that a boy's lips could be so smooth?

"I've gotta go." She shouldered her bag and started walking back towards the courtyard.

"You're just going to run away now?" Logan called after her. Veronica didn't respond for several moments, though she did stop to consider. "Go read that journal. We need to finish this. And soon."

"Before anything like this happens again?" Logan caught the subtext in her words.

Veronica didn't answer. She just did what a Mars did best…fled.


	9. Producer

**_Out of Control_**

**_Chapter Nine_**

**_Producer_**

****

Veronica wasn't expecting Logan to call her as soon as he did. She was working on filing away the last cases that her father had completed when the Mars Investigations phone rang. She put the files down on the desk and picked the phone up quickly.

"Mars Investigation. How may I help you?" She put on her best customer relations voice.

"You've got a meeting in an hour at the Neptune Grand Restaurant." His manner left no room for argument, not that it mattered to Veronica.

"Geez, Logan, thanks for giving me such a choice. You think you can order me around?" She immediately lost the customers relations voice and turned it to ice. She didn't know how to act with him after the kiss, so she fell back into worse than their relationship before the kiss.

"Um yeah, I am paying you." He was just as uncomfortable with talking to her after their kiss. He didn't want to feel like he should be different with her. So he made sure his first-class rich kid act was back on.

"Seriously? Because I can drop you…"

"Listen, I know who the producer is. Harrison Gilmore. I've got him coming to the Neptune Grand to meet me. You can surprise him and do that voodoo that you do so well."

He had eased back on the rich boy act because he was afraid of pushing her too far. They were so close to finding who had killed his mother, bringing it public so his mother's death could be proved that she hadn't left him on purpose. He could destroy his tentative relationship with Veronica now just because he hadn't been unable to stop himself from kissing her.

"How did you figure it out?" Veronica asked as she started gathering her stuff back into her bag.

"She was my mom, Veronica. I knew who she spent a lot of time with. Harrison Gilmore was around a lot, particularly towards the end. My mom would be caught at the parties talking to him in the corner, that sort of thing. Once I read that she was having an affair, it didn't take me long to put two and two together. And that guy was absolutely willing to meet me, the son of the woman he supposedly loved. I figured we could ambush him with a lot of surprising questions. Then we'll know if he did it."

Veronica listened as she stood, putting the bag over her shoulder.

"I'm going to get a complex. You solving the problems before me? All right. I'm coming. But not because of you. I'm coming because your mom deserves better."

With that, Veronica slipped the phone back into the cradle. She yelled out to her dad that she was headed out and went to meet the interesting Harrison Gilmore.

Logan was waiting for her at the doors. He was shifting uncomfortably, though at what, it was a toss up. Was he nervous about meeting his mother's affair? Or was he nervous of meeting her so soon after they had fallen into magnetism in a way that they secretly didn't want to turn away from. Veronica came storming through the revolving doors, her attitude showing that she was ready to investigate her way around Harrison Gilmore.

She saw Logan standing close to the corner. She walked to him, taking a deep breath. She may be ready to investigate Harrison Gilmore but she wasn't ready to see Logan. She wanted to lean forward and kiss him, but everything inside of her – every feeling of hurt and loathing towards Logan, the thought of Lilly and Duncan, stopped her. The kissing would never happen again. Obviously, neither of them would ever initiate another kiss again.

Logan stared at her for a few moments, his eyes zeroing in on her lips, remembering the taste and feel of her lips on his. He wanted to just spend more time feeling his way through her mouth and her body, doing a bit of investigating on his own. He couldn't help but feel bad about his feelings towards a girl he had spent many months trying to hurt her for reasons that didn't even make sense anymore. So instead he would talk about his mother and her affair.

"He's waiting on us in the restaurant. Let's go."

"And how are you doing?" Veronica said with her sweet voice as Logan grabbed onto her arm and pulled her in the direction of the restaurant. He ignored her, continuing to drag her through the hotel – drawing quite a bit of attention to the pair.

She didn't struggle for once. She let him lead her until they were in front of a good looking man sitting at a table for two. He was tall with blond hair and blue eyes. His tan wasn't fake and at first glance, Veronica could easily see why Lynn wanted this man. He smiled at Logan with a slightly slimy grin that made Veronica shudder slightly. Logan grabbed a chair from across their table and took a seat, leaving Veronica with the available seat.

"Harry, old boy, good to see you again. This is my friend, Veronica. She and I wanted to have a little chat with you about the affair you carried on with my mother for the last few months of her life."

Veronica shot Logan a look of disdain. She couldn't believe that he had just started taking over their investigation and pushed it all out there. Well, she could believe that – Logan definitely didn't have tact. She had her own method of interviewing and it didn't involve giving everything away before they started talking. Logan ignored her look and focused in on Harrison's.

He didn't exactly seem shocked at the fact that Logan knew. He didn't seem happy to have an extra presence at the table, but he didn't let that shake him either. The man was cool and he wasn't going to give too much too easily. He was scared. He eyed Logan first and then Veronica.

"I'm not a fan of the nickname Harry, Logey. You know, it makes me think that I'm hairy or something of the sort. And I don't really see how my affair with your mother is any of your business."

"Well, seeing as she was murdered during your torrid fling, I would say it was my business." Logan said this with malice, not feeling like playing games with the man that could have murdered his mother.

"You aren't really able to categorize my relationship with Lynn, Logan. And you're the reason she stayed with your bastard of a father in the first place. If it weren't for you, she would still be alive."

Logan was silent, probably because what Harrison had said was something that he had always been feeling. He had always felt that his Lynn's death was his own fault. If he had been a better son, she would still be alive. Lynn deserved a better life than she had and he had felt that it was his fault that she had stayed. He had always felt that, even when she hadn't protected him from Aaron's wrath. She had seen her fair share of pain dealt out from Aaron.

Veronica didn't take it so quietly. "Aaron is not Logan's fault. Aaron isn't even Lynn's fault. And did you ever think that maybe it was your fault that she is dead? You were the one who had an affair with her. Why did you? How did it start? Did Aaron know about it? How did everything change between you? Why didn't she divorce Aaron? I have a lot of questions and we're going to wait here until you answer all of them. Without trying to blame Logan for everything!"

Logan was surprised by the vehemence in Veronica's voice. He had never expected to hear Veronica come to his defense.

Harrison seemed just as surprised to hear the tone in the tiny blonde's voice. She had been more or less quiet since the meeting had begun. Still, when she spoke, she had quite a lot to say. He shifted in his seat, wrinkling his overpriced suit. He hadn't come to be interrogated by someone almost half his size. He had come to put Logan in his place, to let him know that he blamed Logan for Lynn taking so long to choose to leave Aaron.

"I don't know why you think that I have to answer your questions. I don't. I'm a lot more powerful than you are, little girl."

Veronica smiled at him with all teeth showing. "I love it when people underestimate the little blond girl! They're always so surprised when they find out how wrong they were. Do I seem afraid of you and your power?" She said it wryly while looking at Logan. He still seemed stricken from everything that had been happening.

"I'll answer them because I want to. No other reason besides that. I'll tell you because I think Lynn's killer should be caught."

"And what makes us believe that you didn't kill her for not finally leaving Aaron?"

"You'll hear my story and know what really happened. I wouldn't kill Lynn. I didn't need to." Harrison hesitated before he began the story. "Lynn and I had been talking quite a lot since late September. She was unhappy. I was unhappy. We kept running into each other and we would talk. Talk about everything that was happening in our lives, my job, and her family. I mean, of course she didn't tell me about the abuse. Not originally. She was always a good show wife."

He took a sip of the wine he had ordered earlier. He was obviously not happy to be talking about the situation with her son. He was glaring at Logan, who had snapped out of his self-pity to glare directly back. He continued the story.

"I started to fall in love with her without meaning to. I didn't need anything in particular. I'm successful. She was married. But she was so incredibly unhappy. She tried to cover everything up. One day, however, I saw the bruises. She was wearing a jacket, but she had taken it off. I was outraged. That's when everything started. The affair. I knew then why she was so extremely unhappy. And I wanted to make her feel better.

"She wouldn't leave Aaron."

"Why wouldn't she leave Aaron? Appearances? Money?" Veronica asked without thinking of what Logan would do. It was usually a lot easier to conduct an interview when someone close to the situation wasn't around.

Harrison scoffed at the comment. "Not money. I have more than enough money for both me and Lynn. She wouldn't leave Aaron because of Logan. She was afraid that Logan would feel more punishment of her leaving Aaron than she would. He would fight her for him and he would win because he was more powerful. She wouldn't leave him in that home alone. Even when she didn't do anything to help him in the first place. That is why Aaron killed her. He found out about the affair a couple of weeks ago. After all that mess with his affairs in the papers and tabloids, he was furious because Lynn looked like the dedicated wife and he was the horrid monster. He was even more furious because he wasn't happy playing the cuckold."

Veronica glanced at Logan. She had no doubt that Harrison was right. She could only imagine the anger that Aaron felt, and he would without a doubt fight Lynn about this. He would make her pay. In whatever way he could. However, Aaron made it easy for Harrison to pawn the murder off on him. What if Harrison had betrayed Lynn? Now he had the perfect fall guy.

Logan had the same fury inside of him that Aaron had. They had the same temper. Logan could just be less violent. He had always believed his father had murdered Lynn. Truly. He had believed it deep in his soul. He stood abruptly. He left Veronica behind with Harrison, without another thought.

Veronica stood almost as quickly. If Logan went after Aaron now, there would be no turning back. He would go after Aaron now without even considering the different possibilities such as Harrison lying.

"Thanks for the information, Harry." Veronica flashed him a smile and hurried after Logan to stop whatever was put into motion. She dialed Keith and Sheriff Lamb while she was on the way.


	10. Answers

**_Out of Control _**

**_Chapter Ten_**

**_Answers_**

Veronica half expected to see police cars already at the Echolls' estate. Not the ones that she had called in, but some coming to take Logan away. Surprisingly, the estate seemed completely abandoned. Looks can be deceiving that way. She slid through the fence easily. The guards were gone now. They were possibly watching the spectacle that Logan and Aaron could be making in the house. She could totally see Aaron calling the guards into the house with indignation at Logan's behavior. Veronica could definitely see Logan bursting through the house, breaking everything around him, going after Aaron without asking the important questions. That was why she was there. She had to find out the truth before Logan was too rash. Before he was out of control.

The door had been left open. Logan was obviously not in the mood to keep people out. She slid in quietly and followed the voices from the living room. Aaron had Logan on the ground, his foot keeping him down. Logan was still fighting back with just as much energy. He was yelling at Aaron, shouting accusations in an almost unreasonable tone.

"You murdered her! After you cheated on her, beat her, abused her, you just decided to get rid of her! Tired of having her as your emotional plaything?" He pushed Aaron's foot off of his chest, trying his best to pull Aaron down so he could have the advantage.

"Your mother cheated on me! Don't always try to make me out to be the bad guy, Son. Besides, it was ruled suicide. Even the police know that your mother offed herself."

Logan pushed Aaron, punching the man behind the knees which did finally knock him down. "Our illustrious police force ruled it a suicide. You're right. Lamb wouldn't know a homicide if it happened in front of him."

The two struggled on the floor, both swinging punches, tying their best to hurt one another.

"You're mother couldn't handle any kind of pressure. She was weak! Particularly in her head. You know how she was."

Logan slammed Aaron's head down onto the floor. "You're weak. Beating defenseless women and children to make yourself feel like a man. I know how you are!"

Veronica couldn't watch this anymore. The two of the beating each other senseless was painful. Blood dripped down from Logan's nose and Aaron now had an indention on the side of his jaw, showing dark bruising around his jaw.

"Stop! The police are coming. And we're going to know what happened before Lamb gets here. Stop fighting." Veronica ran towards the two. "We'll tie him up, Logan. Come on. Just get him somewhere that I can tie him to him."

Aaron grabbed Veronica, slapping his hand across her face. The action sent Logan into a complete rage. He tackled Aaron to the ground, keeping his hands back. Veronica recovered from the slap quickly enough and grabbed her jacket off the side of her messenger bag. She tied the hands behind Aaron's back, keeping the knot together. Aaron continued struggling, but he couldn't get out of the knots. Apparently Veronica had tied several knots before this. For such a small girl, she could really tie a strong knot. Veronica went to Logan now, no longer caring about the confusing feelings she had inside. She touched his nose gently, seeing that at least two bones were broken in the nose. He was bruising all over and the feeling inside now was complete disgust at what Aaron could do to his son. This was obviously not the first time he had beat Logan. Just the first time anyone had witness it.

He seemed just as concerned about Veronica. Aaron's handprint was already showing up across her cheek. His hand reached up to touch her face with just as much gentleness as her's had. The two stared at each other for just a moment.

"That's cute. Maybe you guys can consummate your relationship on the couch over here."

Veronica snapped out of it at Aaron's comment. She turned to Aaron, focusing all of her attention on the man. She strolled in front of Aaron, leaning down in front of him.

"So you already knew about Lynn's affair. How did you find out?"

Aaron glared at her. "It's not like I'm about to tell you. I really don't know why so many people are afraid of you and your shleppy father. You don't seem really too scary to me."

"I've got you tied up, don't I?"

"And I can't say that I'm complaining about that. But if you wanted to play games, you could have just asked." Aaron smiled at her with a leer.

Veronica shuddered. "I really don't know why so many people want to have affairs with you. You're old and creepy. But let's get back to the matter at hand. I bet that really pissed you off. Your wife cheating on you. You're Aaron Echolls. No one cheats on you. She was lucky to have you, right?"

Logan turned his attention on what Aaron had to say. He still wasn't talking yet, but Veronica knew it was only a matter of time. Aaron had ego. He would want to make sure people knew how smart he was. How he got away with the perfect murder.

Logan didn't say anything, for once. He realized that for once Veronica might need to do the talking. She might be the way to finding out what really happened.

"It was clever that you planned the suicide. Everyone would believe that poor, misused Lynn would kill herself. She can't handle the pressure, just like you said."

Aaron nodded obligingly. "She was a drunk. Who would be surprised that she jumped?"

"What happened?"

Aaron thought back to the night that Lynn had come home. She had been furious, running at him, hands flying into pitiful slaps. She was unreasonable. She wouldn't even listen to him.

_"A sixteen-year-old? Aaron, that is disgusting! Not only that, but our son's girlfriend. I don't care why you hate me, but I don't understand why you hate our son. You always have. You never hated Trina, but from the moment Logan was born, you've been thinking of ways to make Logan's life miserable. You've been quite successful. But sleeping with Lilly Kane is beyond cruel and disgusting. She's just a child and you took advantage of that girl." _

_ Lynn struggled as Aaron pulled her arms roughly to her side, his strength overpowering her. His movie star smile flashed at her to show her the pleasure he felt by both the affair and the power of hurting her. She turned her head when he lifted one hand up to slap his hand across her face. _

_ "Lilly Kane is hardly an innocent young girl. She knew what she was doing when she and I had our tryst. And you want to talk about affairs? How are things going with Harrison these days?"_

_ If Lynn was surprised that Aaron knew, she didn't know it. The outrage remained on her face, but it was the anger about Lilly that wouldn't leave her. She shook her body, trying her best to get away from Aaron's grasp. She slammed her stiletto heel into his foot which made him loosen his grip. She slipped under him and stood her ground. _

_ "Do you expect me to apologize for Harrison? I only regret that I didn't meet him sooner. Staying with you has been the worst mistake I have ever made. Allowing Logan to stay in this house has been just as bad. But now you've gone too far. This business with Lilly gives me exactly what I need. Robbing the cradle with a Kane? It'll be all over the tabloids by morning. Imagine the headlines. Did you kill her too?"_

_ "You'd hurt your son that way? Allowing the fact that I pleasured his girlfriend better than he did go all over the public? I'm shocked at you." His voice taunted her. He honestly thought that she would keep his secret. Lynn didn't want to hurt Logan. He'd been hurt enough in this life because of her. But she had to get out. He had to get out. Aaron had kept them locked away for far too long._

_ He didn't even bother to acknowledge the murder accusation of Lilly Kane. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Or him, more accurately._

_ "Washed Up Actor Takes Advantage of Software Moguls Underage Daughter. Cheating Actor Goes Too Far. Robbing the Cradle with a Kane. It'll be fabulous. I know the headlines well hurt Logan, but he'll get over it. It'll be better to leave this house and get over a little humiliation."_

_ "And Lilly's precious reputation. What do you think the Kanes will do to you when they find out you went to the tabloids with scandal?"_

_ Lynn scoffed at Aaron's pathetic attempts to keep her quiet. "Lilly can handle herself. She got herself into this in the first place. Like you said. She's hardly innocent. And the real question is what will the Kanes do to you when they find out you slept with their daughter?"_

_ Lynn turned her back, ready to strut to the door. "I'm leaving you, Aaron. And the world and the courts won't blame me. No matter what I have done, you've done worse. This is the end of it. I'm glad you made it so easy because you can't keep it in your pants."_

_Before Lynn knew what was happening, Aaron had a hold of her throat. The full amount of his fury showed in his eyes and soon she couldn't breathe. She had never thought he would kill her, no matter how many times he had hurt her. But as she fell to her knees, gasping for air, losing the battle, she knew that she had lost much more than the last fight. She had lost her life. And now Logan would be alone. She would be gone. And Aaron had won._

He hadn't really told them all that they wanted to hear. He had only talked in bits and pieces. But they had gotten the gist of it. They could testify at trial. Logan went forward to grab Aaron, to beat him before the police arrived. But they had already shown up. Deputy Sachs came in and read Aaron his rights, just off the basis of what they saw the state of the living room in. No one had heard a confession except Logan and Veronica. That worried her. Aaron could lawyer himself up and wiggle out of the charges. They would have to try their best to stop that.

Lamb sent Veronica a condescending smile. "You'll have to come down to the station. Your little friend here too. I'm sure you guys will have a lot to say. I think maybe I can read you your rights. We're not sure what happened here." He slipped his cuffs out swinging and pulled her roughly to him.

"You're right. I've done horrible things. That's why I called you down here."

"That sounded like a confession to me. Enough to at least pull you in. You have the right to remain silent…"

Lamb rattled off the Miranda rights while another deputy arrested Logan. Veronica sent Logan an irritated glance, who seemed just as happy. Who knew what Aaron would tell Lamb? And Lamb may just believe him simply to keep her locked up. She was pushed out of the mansion while paparazzi took pictures off the entire scene taking place.

Logan was waiting for her when she walked out of the jail. Lamb hadn't been able to come up with any actual charges for either of them. Aaron was being held on suspicion of murder due to both of their statements of what they had heard Aaron muttering at the estate. Lamb and the rest of the police force would look into the rest of the house, since they now had most of the story of what had happened to Lynn. They could look in specific places for evidence.

Both looked a bit battered, particularly Logan. His wounds had been attended to at the police station, so they were scabbed over mostly. His nose was broken, so he had bandages over the bridge of his nose. Veronica still had the imprint of Aaron's hand on her cheek and she could only imagine what Keith would have to say about that. She wouldn't be surprised if Keith snuck into the prison to let Aaron know what he thought about it. But at the moment, all she had to think about was Logan.

"So, your dad and Lilly. I bet that was the big secret she told me she had. The day she was murdered. Do you think Aaron did that too?"

"Who knows what my father is capable of?" He was sulking and with good reason. His whole life had once again fallen apart. Not that he cared about. When wasn't his life out of control? He had always known his father was a bastard. But he hadn't wanted to believe that this father had murdered everyone he cared about. Lilly. Lynn. At least Veronica was safe now.

"I'm sorry, Logan. I know that it doesn't really help to know that your father murdered your mother." Veronica grabbed his arm, making him look at her. He nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but I knew she wouldn't have killed herself. It's better to have the truth. Let everyone know the truth. She wasn't always the greatest mom, you know. But I did love her."

"I know."

Logan pulled Veronica in his arms and held tightly. He tried to let his tension release, just to have Veronica in his arms, to relax for a few moments before he would be surrounded by paparazzi and nosy people at school. Before he had to prepare for trial to testify against his father and hopefully see him go to prison for a long time. For once he felt grateful to the man his mother had had an affair with. And he felt grateful to Veronica.

"I'm there when you need me, Logan. For the trial. And any other time."

"You have been for a while now, haven't you? Since my mom died. You've been the only one there. Even after I treated you like you were lower than the dirt my maid sweeps up."

Veronica shrugged a little, not telling Logan that it was okay, but not trying to make him feel bad about it either. "I told you. Your mom was always nice to me. She deserved better. And Lilly would have wanted me to help you. In the end, I think I helped you because I wanted to."

Logan's smirk fell back in place as he tried to rid himself of all the emotional issues he was dealing with. "You just wanted to see if I would service you for this. And what can I say? I can't say no after all this."

Veronica grinned at him, knowing that this was said more out of jest than malice. She kissed his cheek softly before she started to the door. "I can say no."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the police station with him, both already ignoring the questions fired at them about Aaron's arrest and Lynn's murder. Instead, Logan realized that while the rest of his life was out of control, something was going right. He had Veronica back. And she'd help him fix the rest of his life. That's what she did.


End file.
